When Compassion is left at the Door

It was only a few hours ago that I related the story of my daughter’s shocking  discovery. I have just been further informed that her friends brother, who is a solo father and lives a couple of hundred klms away in another town, has been in some trouble with the law, and is on probation. In talking with his probation officer, he felt the need to share some personal issues believing that what he shared would be dealt with in confidence, and perhaps hoping that by ‘unloading’ so to speak, he might find some release and maybe even some counsel from an older person.

During his talk he mentioned that he had considered suicide because he felt overwhelmed with a number of things that were going on in his life. But he had dismissed that idea because of his love for his children.

Sadly, the probation officer saw things a little differently. He rang the local social welfare office who immediately removed the children from the home. How short-sighted is this! A government agency removing possibly the only motivation for a depressed person to live! Depression is such a common problem in this country one would think a government agency might be better informed and educated as to how to deal with such a situation.

Or have I got it wrong? Is this perhaps the best option? If this is the case, then I would suggest that half the population of children in the country ought to be under care of welfare. And in the previous post I suggested that our welfare system was there to help those who fell through the cracks. Mmmmm.

Will it ever Stop?

My last few posts have dealt with my firm belief  that a relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ can heal people from addictions, deliver from the bondage of sin, and lift people out of that curse, depression.

New Zealand, where I write from, is among the worst nations in the world statistically for suicide, particularly among teens. To visit N.Z. one wouldn’t think anyone could be depressed in this most beautiful of countries. Reasonably affluent, multi-racial with little racial animosity, educational opportunities for most everyone, and a social security system that supports those who fall through the cracks, along with any number of sporting and social past-times and associated activities to keep one physically occupied and mentally challenged, the statistics are difficult to comprehend.

Except for one thing. N.Z. is also one of the most secular countries in the world. All the above institutions, activities and past-times are limited in their effectiveness  if devoid of that one attribute that comes only from God. Love.

My daughter, who is in her late twenties, visited her neighbour just last night to discover to her horror that he had taken his own life. How utterly sad. Another statistic, but more than that. Another  precious life wasted.

So again my friends, I cannot emphasise enough, Jesus does love you. With a passion! And He is waiting, knocking at the door of your heart, desperate for you to let Him in and start His work of healing, loving, and giving you His power to live secure, peaceful, joyous, productive purposeful lives. Invite Him in today.

May God bless you all.

A Father’s Love

2 Cor. 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Unless one is born again, he is not a child of God. We are born into the kingdom of Satan, and to a more or less degree, we are children of wrath because of sin. And as far as children go, we are far from ordinary. We are extraordinarily rebellious, selfish, disobedient, lawless little brats who fully deserve the punishment that sin brings to the unrepentant. Yet God still calls us to Him. Knowing our craziness, the chaos that our lives consist of, and the lies and deceit and the manipulation our habits and addictions bring as baggage, God still loves us with that unconditional quality that defies logic and reason. God’s love for man, even in his present state, is a complete mystery.

So what’s so Good about the Good News?

Good news is always welcome in a world that is awash with the depressing , the sad, the shocking, the catastrophic. Many news channels leave special items that can be classified as ‘good news’ for the final segment of the broadcast, just after the weather. Having been bombarded with the gloomy reports earlier, it is always something of a relief to see something lighter, refreshing, or amusing. Such a scenario is a telling indictment on the state of the world. The world we live in today is not a happy place, and the media, whether it be television, radio, or the press, is a constant testimony and reminder that we are surrounded on every side by unrelenting horror stories bringing disease, death, and destruction to both the innocent and not so innocent alike. It is a fact that we have seen so much bad news that we have become so inured by it that it takes major disasters to genuinely move most people to any semblance of emotional empathy with the suffering and dying.  ‘Lesser’ forms of bad news are now so common that we have become quite blasé; the story of the Good Samaritan may have made the final segment, but the violent assault on the wayfarer would have barely rated a mention.

Which brings me to a particularly notable story that deserves to have its own segment on every news broadcast every day.

Christianty’s view of Islam

There is among Christian circles much discussion regards Islam. Views ranging from accusations of being the Antichrist and deceptive heretical violence riven cult, to proclaiming them as ‘brothers’ being children of Abraham as many Christians also claim, and everything in between, are bandied back and forth on Christian forums throughout cyberspace. Unfortunately most opinions of Islam are very negative, and understandably so considering the current focus in the news media, but what most are unwilling to admit or unaware of is that there are many very devout Muslims who love God and are living fully in accord to what light they have as to who He is and His ways and nature, and eschew the violent aspects of Islam. Just as there is an atrocious history within Christianity, in both Catholic and Protestant circles  going back many centuries, of great violence against the innocent costing many millions of lives,  most Christians would recoil in horror if accused of being a part of that.

By focusing on various aspects of Islam and the differences that exist between us, we are perhaps creating among ourselves a mindset that fosters animosity rather than engendering a spirit of love that would result in a more determined intent to share the gospel and the love of Christ with them. I can personally testify that there are a great many Muslim men and women who are open to discussion, are hungry for truth, who sincerely love God and would readily accept Jesus if given the opportunity. I have seen many discussions on Islam that start out with perhaps good intentions, with perhaps the goal being of greater understanding, but quickly developing into nothing more than gripe sessions against Islam. This is sad, for we are denying ourselves an opportunity to grow and learn as Christians, and in many cases simply confirm in the minds of the Islamic community the opinion that Christians are of an entirely different attitude than their Founder.

“But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you”.

Your Moslem neighbour is a candidate for the Kingdom of God. And God loves him no less than you. Rather than fearing them and fostering animosity through negative attitudes, try praying for them and asking God for His love in you and to create an opportunity to share Jesus with them. You may be surprised.

Simply being a friend would be a great start.

Preoccupation with Islam

For the life of me I cannot understand the fear that American Christians in particular have with regards Islam. I could more appreciate the worries some European nations may have as immigration has brought radical changes to the demographic of several nations, particularly Britain and France.
But the US, despite 9/11, is looking in the wrong direction if they fear any sort of take-over from a foreign power.

I Know where you Live

…and I know you. Your name is engraved on the palms of My hands.
I know the names of your parents, your children, your brothers and sisters, your friends, your neighbors, your work colleagues, and your classmates.
I know when you go out, for I am by your side. I know when you come home; I am there waiting.
I share your joys, your sorrows, I understand your troubles, your fears, your confusion.
When you are threatened, abused, and neglected, I feel the pain, I experience the loneliness. When you get hurt, I flinch.

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock...." Revelation 3:20

I understand when you feel like giving up. When you want to give it all away. When the only options open to you are to throw crockery at the wall, bricks at the neighbours windows, or shoot arrows at anything or nothing in particular. When you would do anything just to be free from the suffering, the pain, then it is that time when I love you the most. I know that crawl space inside your head where you retreat to when life gets too much. Then is the time I would gather you as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. Then is the time I would surround you with My love and compassion. Then is the time to come to Me, and I will put My arms around you and hug you and comfort you.
I love nothing more than to be involved in your world. I know everything there is to know about you, and there is nothing you can do, neglect, think, or say, that will stop Me from loving you. My entire being is focused on seeing you through your troubles, on being your closest friend, confidante, and companion, all to the express purpose of bringing you home with Me when I come.
I will see you through your time of trial. Every one of your tears leaves it’s stain upon My cheek. Every cry you utter I echo before My Father. And together, we will see you through to the other end.
Do not fear. Do not worry. I have been where you are. I have felt what you are feeling. I have experienced the injustice, the abuse, the slander, the pain, the suffering and even the death you fear.
But I now live, and My life is now focused on ensuring that you also shall live with Me. So be not afraid. Be strong. Be of good cheer.  I am bigger than your greatest fear. I am your Maker, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, and there is nothing I will with-hold from you that is to your good.
Make Me your hope, your trust, your fortress. I will not fail you.

Revelation 13

Composites. We see them everywhere. They are all about us. They are called people. Every single person on the planet is a composite of his ancestors. DNA inherited from the sum total of all who have gone before make up what we are today. Although we are individuals, and unique, that uniqueness is bound up in our inherited genes.

With that in  mind I would like to discuss one of the most intriguing composited on the planet. Not an individual, but an institution. Described as a ‘beast’ in the book of Revelation in chapter 13, this beast has had many Biblical scholars both university educated and self taught, deeply embroiled in debate, argument, and discussion for nearly 2000 years. This beast has been the focus of attention with far more intensity in the past 150 years or so as the church recognises the signs of the second coming approaching, thus study with more interest those prophecies which reveal events, and characters which are pertinent to the  ‘last days’.

It is the nature of the composites, those things which form the beast, that I will focus on in this post. I have dealt extensively elswhere with the prophecies of Daniel, linking the characteristics of the ‘little horn’ power of Daniel 7 with those of the papacy, and as we will see here, the beast of Revelation 13 likewise mirrors those characteristics.

Revelation 13:1 ¶ And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Revel. 17:15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

We see here a kingdom rising up in a populous part of the earth, in this case the capital of the then superpower, Rome.

Dishonest Apologetics

I am nonplussed and grieved at the dishonesty with which certain critics make it their life work to attack the church to which they once belonged. I am always ready and willing to open my Bible and study whatever issues they may have with our church’s doctrines and beliefs…I do not fear the truth, nor do I hide behind rhetoric, lies, or obfuscation to earn points in a debate. You will not find me resorting to straw men who cannot stand up in the slightest breeze…yet for so many who seem intent on justifying their present position outside the church they were raised in, these tactics seem par for the course.

Good open debate can bring glory to God if both parties are willing to pursue and love the truth, but it appears to me that in many cases, particularly from ex pastors who ought to know better, misrepresenting our position on certain doctrines, misleading others to believe lies about our true position, is inexcusable, irresponsible, and is very closely related to those Pharisees and hypocrites who accused Jesus of having a devil. Refusing to acknowledge truth, they have to invent lies to justify their disloyalty. So sad that Christians should resort to such tactics. May God forgive them.

 

Fulfilling Prophecy?

A news report I read recently sent my heart racing, and prompted me to write this. I wrote recently a post entitled “Were They Right?” This post dealt with the reformers claim that the Roman Catholic Church was the Antichrist. There is another reformer which I didn’t mention, one which wrote extensively on this very topic, and had visions revealing the truth of the apostasy of the papal church. Her name was Ellen G White. In the late 19th century, at a time when America was still strongly opposed to the Roman church having their forbears only recently escaped the tyranny of European popes and kings, E G White wrote that the time was coming when American protestantism would reach out and clasp the hand of the papal power and join with them in establishing a single world govening authority based on doctrines they had in common, and enforcing worship through the use of financial boycott or economic incentives. You can read the full account of this in “The Great Controversy”.
Meanwhile, the news that captured my attention was the following which to my mind is another sure step in the fulfilment of all White wrote.

http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/10/24/vatican-calls-for-new-world-economic-order/

http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2011/10/24/vatican-calls-for-global-authority-on-economy/