Scoffers Come Scoffing

On Oct 7, 2023, a war began. No surprise there. Nothing that hasn’t happened before, right? People scoffed. It's just another outbreak of the war that never ends. Our president was quick to respond with a message of reassurance. When I heard Biden say that he, and America, will stand with Israel no matter what, my mind in silent wonderment, and without so much as a moment’s consideration, proclaimed, “Lies." 

The day brought death, and the response brought death. The Palestinians, more or less used and abused by Hamas, are portrayed on the evening news as innocents being slaughtered by the murderous Jews. The clips of injured and abandoned children are heartbreaking. But the news here in America is slanted. Why are these people in harm’s way? How many were told by Hamas not to flee the evacuated areas? How many Hamas leaders hovelled underground, and still do, directly below what should have been safe places? How many trucks of medical supplies and food have been highjacked by Hamas? I wonder, if I were a mother in Gaza hoping to save my children, if I would consider that the IDF might offer better protection. Of course, I’m watching it all from across the world.

Nevertheless, this war has indeed ushered in propaganda layered with lie upon lie. The devil is in the business of spreading lies, and his business has shown a profit these past few months. The believers of the lies are fooled by two realities. First, blindness overtakes those living in spiritual darkness. 

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. 2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT

Second, ignorance of history gives false perception to blinded eyes. They scoff at Israel's right to reasonable defense. Here is an excellent article that clears up some of the current fallacies promoted in demonstrations around the world, typically by the pseudo-educated, the woke, political leaders, the media and, at times, by leaders and members of the body of Christ. The latter should not be. Not at all.

      Deceptive Slogans In Propaganda War Against Israel: By Dr. David Reagan 

What should be the opinion, action, and emotion of the body of Christ?

Pray for Israel. 

The nation of Israel, the war, or the signs of the approach of Day of the Lord are hardly mentioned by the Christians in my circle. I try to bring it up when opportunity arises. And I pray. I know I am not alone. Others are praying.

Pray for the enemy. 

It's hard to pray for those who are likely so blinded by desire to wipe Israel off the map that they will never be turned. But a few will believe the truth, eventually. In the meantime, I will pray for those children I see on the news. I pray they will be released by the power of the gospel from the pull to join the terrorists in their evil plotting. I pray this war will end soon. But I know there is only One who is able to save the lost ones and who will bring peace at last. 

And He’s coming.

I never realized, until lately, the depth of a verse I’ve read for years.

…knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.  
2 Peter 3: 3,4 ESV

I always thought it referred to the lost, the blind, and surely it does. However, Peter was speaking of false teachers. Such members walk comfortably among the redeemed. Why would the lost and blind even consider the coming of Christ? They’re not waiting. It’s the Church that has waited and wondered these two thousand years. Is it the Church that’s now scoffing?

Praise God, there is a great and mighty hope for the body of Christ, for believers watching and waiting, and believers who question the promise. For the nation of Israel. For the lost sons of Ishmael. For the educated and enlightened who have no understanding of the Light. For all of us.

Here is the mission and purpose of the Son of God as written in the book of Isaiah, and read by Jesus in the synagogue:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
    because he has anointed me
    to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives
    and recovering of sight to the blind,
    to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
  to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor” Luke 4: 18,19 ESV

Jesus spoke words from Isaiah up to the proclamation of the year of the Lord’s favor. He stopped mid-sentence, set the scroll aside, and sat down. He had revealed His mission to those listening, that is, the mission of His first advent. The words of Isaiah speak further of the full mission of Jesus, to the time of the second advent, and the restoration of Israel. Read the rest of the passage from Isaiah 61:2b-7…

    and the day of vengeance of our God;
    to comfort all who mourn;
 to grant to those who mourn in Zion—
    to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness instead of mourning,
    the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit;
that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
    the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.

They shall build up the ancient ruins;
    they shall raise up the former devastations;
they shall repair the ruined cities,
    the devastations of many generations.

Strangers shall stand and tend your flocks;
    foreigners shall be your plowmen and vinedressers;
but you shall be called the priests of the Lord;
    they shall speak of you as the ministers of our God;
you shall eat the wealth of the nations,
    and in their glory you shall boast.
Instead of your shame there shall be a double portion;
    instead of dishonor they shall rejoice in their lot;
therefore in their land they shall possess a double portion;
    they shall have everlasting joy.

 

God never forgets His promises. Remember Israel.

Remember that our Deliverer is coming. And pray.

 

 

 

I'd Like to Tell You Jesus is Coming Soon, but...

Perhaps within every generation of Christians, at least some are imbued with an expectancy that the return of Christ could be imminent. The hope did not die with the earliest believers, but was passed down through the teaching of scriptures, and the pondering of anxious saints. 

Today, some understand the future event one way, while others find the comfort expressed in certain Bible passages to mean something else. But most, if not all, within the denominations and dogmatic currents of Christianity still believe that the Son of God who said He would return, will indeed, return.

Many of us have found recent events rousing the anticipation to a level not experienced for a while. But we have felt it before. Then things settle down and we find ourselves in wait mode once again, considering our Redeemer must be tarrying a little longer. 

Earlier this year, I stated in a blog post entitled The Art of Crying Holy, that I feel like my Deliver is coming. I made that proclamation pre-COVID-19, pre-protests and riots (no, they are not the same thing) and I stand by it. But maybe I’ve always felt it. Maybe I’m simply one of those who carry that burden of imminency. So, no, I don’t know when. Nobody does.

Surely, past disasters left many hoping and praying for the Rescue. In ancient times an earthquake, like the one in Ephesus in 262AD, might have left the early Christians considering the end was near. They were cut off from the rest of the world and didn’t know, at least for a while, that it wasn’t the entire planet that was shaken. 

In modern times, disasters, and social atrocities committed by one group against another, have been broadcast to the entire world. I can only imagine how observers in the Christian community must have watched and waited expectantly for their Messiah during WWI and WWII, during pandemics much more deadly than this present one, or during times of social upheaval that left so many homeless and hungry.

But a world at war is not the end. It may happen again. In fact, it may have already begun. A plague is not the end. Nor is an economic downturn. Nor is widespread social unrest. People have always found a reason to believe it was time for Christ to return. Our current confounding predicament has caused some of us to consider the lateness of the hour. In a series of blog posts from the latter part of 2019, I wrote about the potential of another civil war in America, including a post entitled Racism: The Church, the Media, and the New Definition of Racist. Some of what I wrote about has ramped up. I didn’t think the devolution would come on this quickly. It’s almost like it was orchestrated.

I’ve read so many conspiracy theories that I believe I’m now suffering from what’s been tagged Crisis Fatigue. I don’t know if the coronavirus was engineered. I don’t know if there are people in high places who want us to hate each other and fight in the streets. I don’t know what the future of the U.S.A. looks like. I don’t know if people like me might be loaded onto a train and delivered to a camp set up to retrain deplorables. I don’t know what Jesus meant when He said, “I am coming soon.”

Here’s what I do know: God is more powerful than any plague. It’s the devil who spawns hatred. The action of my faith will not be swayed by politics or public opinion. My destiny is in God’s hands. And the end times began when Jesus made the statement that He’s coming soon. What’s two thousand years to God? It’s a breath, that’s all. But the Day is closer today than yesterday. My Deliverer is coming, and so I wait expectantly, joyfully, and with certainty. I won’t rely on my own understanding. Or my own strength. Or my own righteous indignation. The battle is the Lord’s.

The end is predetermined. The enemy is not my neighbor, or any of my diverse brothers and sisters in Christ, or the angry citizens of my country who peacefully stand against injustice. Please know, justice is coming, and His name is Jesus.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

The Promises of Democracy

I ran this piece four years ago as the last election came to view. It’s just as relevant today. The strategies of the current candidates are just as twisted. The words of MLK are just as promising. The coming of our Lord is that much closer.

A true leader brings great hope to a nation.

Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. Isaiah 40: 3

The world changed when John the Baptist fulfilled this prophecy by preparing the way of the Messiah. More recently, another man spoke the words during a time of cultural upheaval in one of the most important speeches ever delivered. During that speech, before Martin Luther King, Jr. began his eloquent revelation of a dream, he referenced the valley.

Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

Then came the heart of the speech and the sharing of the dream, and this man of God included Isaiah’s prophecy. He knew of its fulfillment. And yet, he believed the words held a future hope. For Americans? For peace among the races calling themselves Americans? Most certainly. But Dr. King realized the words were written to proclaim the coming of Christ. To mark the day when the glory of the Lord would be revealed, and all flesh would see it together.

Evil shut the mouth of John the Baptist, but the prophecy rang true and the message did not end. The voice of Dr. King met evil as well. But his dream didn’t end. Great loss was suffered, and great progress made in exalting that dark and desolate valley. A servant of God, one with a vision and a voice, can bring great change, exalt valleys, flatten mountains, straighten what is crooked and smooth the rough places.

But not completely. Evil still lurks. Some claim the media is responsible for stirring the racial tension rising up in America today. In reality, Satan is behind it. And he’s got his claw in politics too. Absurd comments from this unusual crop of presidential candidates seem to result in a tangled, ridiculous waste of time. No potential leader possesses the vision and voice to lift us from the sinking wasteland, or flatten any mountain blocking a secure and united future. 

I long for the vision of a man who was murdered when I was a child. As a white Southern girl, perhaps I didn’t fully appreciate his legacy. But now, as Christian woman, I can see the greatness of his message and his leadership. But I have a dream that One even greater will come to rule the world with truth and justice. Thank God, prophecy will soon be fulfilled again. He is coming.

I have a dream that I can gather with all races to worship in freedom. But it’s not a dream—not anymore. It’s reality every time we gather in my Southern Baptist Church. It would have never been this way in the past. But now, it’s nothing to even note. We’re just family.

I have a dream that come November I can step into the voting booth and mark a reasonable choice. But not all dreams are meant to be. I know this much: God appoints leaders. Some to lead with greatness. Some, by their ungodliness, to bring a nation to turn from their rebellion against God or else meet their end. I wonder what Dr. King’s prayer for our nation would be today. He might still hold firm to the promises of democracy. Hope is not yet lost. Or perhaps he would simply pray: Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Click here to read Dr. King's  "I Have a Dream..." speech.

Is Anybody Still Watching for Jesus to Return?

In my corner of the Western Christian world, I’ve noticed a shift in recent years in the tone and frequency of conversation regarding matters of eschatology. Okay, I’ve never heard that particular word spoken among my Christian friends with any regularity, but talk of the End Times, the Rapture of the Church, and the Second Coming of Christ used to fill our hearts with expectation. We used to argue…I mean reason together over our pre-trib, mid-trib, or post-trib views.

Now I’m speaking Christianese, so here are some definitions:

Eschatology: theology as it relates to the final events of the history of mankind.

Rapture: the removal of the Church from the earth, that is, all believers who have surrendered to the call of Christ are taken up into Heaven at once.

Second Coming: the literal return of Jesus Christ to take His place as King of Kings over all the earth.

Pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib: varying ideas and interpretations about the timing of the Rapture, that is, if it will occur before, during, or after the Great Tribulation.

Great Tribulation: an unparalleled period of torment, natural disasters, evil rule and death that will end in a final battle between Christ and Satan.

I used to know where most people in my Christian community stood in their understanding of these important matters. At some point, the lively conversation waned, and the conviction blurred. We stopped talking about it. One reason for the shift in focus may be that the overall teaching of the Church took a step back from a subject becoming more and more other-worldly, more science fiction than Bible truth. We began to focus instead on the present needs of our members, and on sharing the gospel with the lost. This was not a bad move. Perhaps too many of us were sitting around daydreaming about the fantastical nature of upcoming events, rather than following the call to make disciples of all nations.

Another reason our glorious anticipation may have gotten left behind is the harsh judgment of society. Open discussions of the long-expected hope of the believer might once have received a polite nod from the skeptic, an “I hope you’re right” reaction to our assertion that Jesus would soon set all things right. Now, such talk is used to classify Christianity as a dangerous and hateful religion. As if we're personally scheming to end the world as we know it. As if we're praying for the next big earthquake to take out our enemies. Nobody I know prays that way. While I hear an occasional “Even so, come Lord Jesus” I haven’t known anyone to pray hate against God’s creation.

Twenty years ago, a friend recommended a book that espoused her mid-trib point of view. She believed we had to at least endure some level of persecution before Jesus swept in to rescue us. Even back then, I considered her thinking as far too Western, her vision too focused on her own experience. In other parts of the world, persecution was already a way of life for some Christians.

Today, Christians face death in greater numbers. Some must worship underground. Even where freedom of religion is still the right of the people, a discriminatory attitude often shuts our mouths. I’m not saying were already experiencing the Tribulation. When it happens, there will be no question about it.

The Christians I know aren’t concocting The End. We don’t mean to come off as bidding for the apocalypse. We’re not encouraging death and destruction. That wasn’t our intent when eschatology was a more popular subject of study among believers, and it’s not our purpose now. For those of us who cling to the inevitable truth and prophetic message of the Word of God, our hope isn't that our opponents meet a violent end, but that they meet their Savior before The End comes.

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words. I Thessalonians 4:16