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Striking Similarities
What could possibly be strikingly familiar between the visit of the wise men to Jerusalem and Bethlehem 2000 years ago and the visit of Prime Minister Netanyahu to Washington DC last Week?
Where is the outcry?
The world was justifiably outraged by the murders at Charlie Hebdo by the hands of Muslim radicals. The world was justifiably outraged and horrified by the burning alive of the Muslim Jordanian pilot at the hands of Muslim animals (there are more such burnings coming). The world has been justifiably outraged by the barbaric beheadings of captives by those same Muslim animals (there will be more coming). This nation is outraged by the murder of three Muslims in North Carolina, demanding the politically-charged classification of “hate crime” before the facts are even known.
Yet over the weekend the same Muslim animals burning people alive and cutting people’s heads off cut the heads off of 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians in Libya. Where is the outcry? The only voice raised was that of Egypt. Why the deafening silence from the rest of the world? Because the world does not care if Christians are butchered.
That is blatantly unjust…but not surprising.
Jesus Christ said to His disciples, “If the world hate you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also. But all these things will they do unto you for My name’s sake, because they know not Him that sent Me.” (John 15:18-21).
No one is hated more in the world than Jesus Christ. No greater injustice has been rendered in the world than that on Jesus Christ. Next on the world’s most hated list are those who carry His name and follow Him. His followers are in this world but not of this world; this world is not our home, we are strangers just passing through and looking forward to going home into the kingdom wherein lies our citizenship.
The Holy Spirit comforts us with these words:
“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-11)
“What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifies. Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, Who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:31-39)
“Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-58)
So, my brothers and sisters who carry the name of Jesus Christ and follower Him wherever He leads us, do not look at the injustice and evil cruelty of this world. Bless those who persecute you. Love your enemies. Our Lord so instructed and gave us the greatest example of such Love. This world is as bad as it gets for us….but it is as good as it gets for those who hate Jesus Christ. He gets the last word.
God cannot use me
The next time you feel like the Lord cannot use you, just remember…
Noah got drunk. Abraham was too old. Jacob was a schemer. Joseph was abused. Gideon was afraid. Samson was a womanizer. Rahab was a prostitute. Jeremiah and Timothy were too young. David was an adulterer and a murderer. Elijah was suicidal. Jonah was a run away. Naomi was a widow. Job went bankrupt. Mary Magdalene was demon-possessed. The Samaritan woman was a multiple divorcee. Martha was a worrywart. Peter denied Jesus. Saul of Tarsus was a religious fanatic. Paul was a repeat offender, a hopeful addict (1 Cor 16:15). Lazarus was dead.
We all fall short of the glory of God. But with God nothing shall be impossible. So no more excuses. God can use you! He wants to use you! He will give you His power to do it! Call on the name of Jesus Christ the Lord and receive the baptism of the power of God from on high.
Self-Help isn’t
(Photo posted on Facebook page “Last Call”)
Self-help isn’t help. If I need help, why would I ask myself? If I need more than I can do, why would I ask myself for more than I can do? People say (God does not and never did), “God helps those who help themselves.” If I can help myself, why do I need God’s help? Self-help isn’t help, it is a vicious circle and it is a lie.
Help takes two persons, both 1) in agreement that help is needed and 2) willing to humble themselves. One person must humble himself to be willing to be helped and another person must humble himself to be willing to help. The help received is as good as the ability of the giver of help.
In a fast and furious world that quickly overwhelms us who are finite, I am thankful that the Infinite God is willing to humble Himself to help me! Psalm 121:1-2 says, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from where comes my help. My help comes from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”
Everybody needs help. God knows we need help. God wants to help. I know I need help. I have humbled myself to ask for God’s help. Do you know you need help? Will you humble yourself to ask for God’s help? Will you depend on yourself and get what you can do or depend on the Almighty God and get what He can do? He is able and willing to help me, you, and whoever calls upon Him.
Police State
Local police departments under fire and a rising animosity toward police officers. A broken justice system. A paralyzed and dishonest federal government. The judicial branch of the government increasingly writing law rather than interpreting the law. Lawlessness on the rise. Are we seeing the fingerprints of a federal police state?
Reading of Germany in the 1930’s is like reading today’s news in this nation. The lessons of history are 1) man does not learn from history, and 2) if we do not learn from history, we will repeat history.
Wake up, America!