It's not just individuals. Whole groups of people. Whole nations. And certainly organizations have been erected temporarily for the expressed purpose of destruction.
Have you ever played building blocks with a toddler? The glorious moment for the child is the moment when they get to destroy it with their imaginary tornado.
A house of cards is never meant to stand forever.
There are some very sobering illustrations of this in human history. Great individuals who died at the climax of their influence. Great nations and empires who are no more. Whole families, tribes, or even entire ethnic groups that have disappeared altogether.
Where is God in this?
Well - to be clear - He is holding the conductor's baton. He is in charge of the orchestra.
Before you write me off here, consider Pharaoh (king of Egypt in the days of Moses). We read in Romans 9:17, "The scripture said to Pharaoh, 'Even for this same purpose have I raised you up, that I might shew My power in you, and that My name might be declared throughout all the earth."
Why did God stand Pharaoh up? To knock him down, that's why.
And his story is not exceptional.
Nimrod, Saul the son of Kish, Nebuchadnezzar, Herod, and even the coming AntiChrist were (or in the last case, will be) all given power, position, prominence, and influence (by God) even though He knew fully that they would use and abuse their privilege against their own Maker. In fact, Psalm 2 portrays all of the heathen leaders of all time and on every level as sworn enemies of God. And yet, in Romans we read that "the powers that be" are ordained of God. He gives them a seat of power in order to publicly humble them and thereby show His own strength.
Jesus called 12 disciples and one of them was a devil. He knew Judas' future. He placed him in the position he was in knowing exactly what Judas would do with his insider experience. And when the time came, Jesus literally told Judas to go quickly and do what he had committed himself to do (John 13:37).
From one perspective we could ask why God ever even gives life and breath to those who will never submit to Him. On the other hand, we must remember that He (who does all things well) makes one vessel to be honored and another to be dishonored. In all things though, God will be glorified. Whether in your salvation or in your damnation, God will be glorified. Your glory and mine is not His objective. It never has been and never will be. It would be incongruous. It would be illogical. It would be unfitting for God to be dethroned so fallen men could be enthroned. Since He can only do what is just, holy, right, true, and good - then only He can be the center and purpose of the existence of all things.
So what about America? And, what about the American church?
We are doomed.
Sorry.
America as a nation has done virtually everything that Sodom, Gomorrah, and the cities around them did. Read for yourself what Ezekiel said about that group of sinners: "Behold, this was the iniquity of you sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty, and committed abomination before Me: therefore I took them away as I saw good." (16:49-50). And by the way, Ezekiel taught that the people of Jerusalem had done even worse. What was the fate of those people? All those cities. Both groups of people. Brought to nothing.
Paul wrote in Romans 11:20-21, "Because of unbelief they (the Jews) were broken off, and you stand by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee." Don't get distracted by any argument about who Paul was speaking too. We know who it was, but the most significant thing here is the nature and practice of God. Paul goes on to say in verse 22, "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, IF you continue in His goodness: otherwise you will also be cut off."
If you (like I) view the American church as most closely resembling the Laodicean church of Revelation 3, then we are in great trouble. Jesus describes Himself as being on the outside of that assembly. He assured them of rebuke and discipline. He called them to repent.
I fear that too many American Christians in 2020 are too comfortable to be revived. At this point, is our destruction the only use God could possibly find for us? He would be fully justified in wiping us out as a warning to His children elsewhere.
Some of the strongest and best Christian voices in my lifetime are sounding shaky. Fearful even. Not afraid of the lost. Not afraid of government. Not afraid of liberals, secularist, and the worldly heathen who rise up against the church. No. Instead, I hear them discouraged and low because of a lack of unity, a lack of zeal, a lack of consistency, a lack of faithfulness, a lack of devotion, a lack of faith, a lack of gospel fervor... among American pastors and in the seats in American congregations. Or not in the seats at all. Just wandering. Disconnected and unconcerned.
Let us beware. God owes us nothing. He is not indebted to us. Our nation and our churches could fold and disappear today and God's kingdom would not be hobbled. The gates of hell will not prevail against the church. But the church must BE THE CHURCH.
How hungry are you for God's blessings; for His manifest presence. How desperate are you for revival; for victory? Do you and I truly care whether the gospel is declared to the world, or not? Does it matter to us if we are growing in grace? Does the spiritual health and vitality of the church matter to us? Are we willing to sacrifice for the success of the body of Christ?
Or, is our faith in Christ little more than an appendage that we use to sooth our own conscience and to facilitate the materialistic existence that our flesh craves.
If we are not filled (controlled) by the Spirit; if we to not exude the fruit of the Spirit; if we are not walking in the light. Well, then we have made ourselves disposable.
Isaiah wrote that "...the nations are... counted as the small dust of the balance..." (40:15). It's not that we are not loved, but God will not be mocked (Galatians 6:7). He loves us. But He can destroy our body in order to save our spirit (1st Corinthians 5:5). "When we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world" (1st Corinthians 11:32). He will execute justice. Even if He is long-suffering beyond all possible imaginations, as time passes and we continue to walk alone (away from Him), our demise only becomes that much closer and surer.
Let us pray, "Oh dear God! Have mercy on us. Turn us from our iniquity and our idols. Make us useful in Your hand. We want to be valuable instruments in the construction of Your kingdom! We want to be essential - indispensable, not disposable."
Without wholesale, complete, and humble submission to the Scripture and the Spirit, this can never be.
टिप्पणियां