The End Times.6

"The day will come when your enemies will lay a trench around your walls, and hem you in on every side. They will hurl you to the dust, and your children with you, and will not leave one stone standing upon another, all this because you failed to recognize the appointed time when God himself moved among you." 

--Jesus

"You can choose your behavior 
but you cannot choose your consequences." 
--The quiet admonition of a friend to her children.

Recently, a Canadian friend posted a comment about her favorable opinion of Barack Obama after listening to his audio version of "The Audacity of Hope." This sparked an animated discussion on whether a "good" person can author bad public policy.  One comment-er tried to make the case for his moral leadership by stating Obama's bad policy decisions are less bad than George W. Bush's. 

Social media allows us to air our opinions with more frequency and to a greater audience than at any time in the world's history.  But is the human race any more capable of discerning goodness than at any time in human history?  Can we see the "God-ness" in a particular event or person any more clearly than when God himself moved among us?

from obamamessiah.blogspot.ca/

For some reason nearly every U.S. President is scrutinized by the public to determine their qualifications as saint or satan.  For instance, because Ronald Wilson Reagan had six letters in each of his names --666-- some were convinced it made him the Anti-Christ.  On the other hand Barbara Walters, venerated journalist, has referred to Barack Obama as Messiah. She's not alone in her adoration...

"Obama's finest speeches do not excite. They do not inform. They don't even really inspire. They elevate. . . . He is not the Word made flesh, but the triumph of word over flesh . . . Obama is, at his best, able to call us back to our highest selves."
-- Ezra Klein

Had the Jewish nation embraced Jesus as their King how would the world be different today? The obvious answer is we Gentiles would not be here to consider the question! Their egregious rejection of God himself became our opportunity to be born...and born again! It also helps us understand God's willingness to allow his Will to be thwarted, at least temporarily, if not tragically, to sub-serve his greater purposes! 

If the challenge to first century humanity was to recognize God moving among men -- and the reaction to his birth indicates that centuries old prophecies had accomplished at the very least (for some) an awareness of the possibility of a heavenly visitation and (for others) an earnest anticipation -- is the challenge any less for modern mankind to avoid the same tragic mistake?  

If we don't have a certainty about Jesus the Man we have come to believe in and those qualities that make him the great I Am, how will we withstand the onslaught of false Messiah's with their promises of hope or threats of change for a world on fire? 

If you are putting your trust in doctrinal positions or theology, you will be swept up in the delusion that Jesus warned would impact even the elect.  

Will He find faith in Him on earth?  What is faith in Him? 

 "The leaving of your way, your objects, your self, and the taking of His and Him; the leaving of your trust in men, in money, in opinion, in character, in atonement itself, and doing as He tells you! To do His words is to enter into vital relation with Him, to obey Him is the only way to be One with Him! The relation between Him and us is an absolute one; it can nohow begin to live but in obedience: it is obedience!" -MacDonald

The Day is coming, and perhaps is closer than we think, when we must choose our allegiance between Jesus and this world order.  However, we make that choice daily by choosing to obey Him.  If you cannot think of one thing this day you have done because Jesus said do this or one thing you have not done because He said don't do this, you have good reason to fear you won't make the correct choice when it may cost you all!

Triumph or Tragedy.  Its all in a choice.  Choose today whom you will serve...

 

 

Feedback Request

"Lord purify my heart 
so that I care little
 for any judgment but yours." --  George MacDonald

I love to write.  But it can be a lonely vigil.  A writer who writes for a living gets a substantial sense of his impact by the books or articles he sells.  Online bloggers/tweeters get feedback through comments, retweets, pageviews, etc.  

For those of you who read this blog you can see I don't get a

lot of feedback.  I write to encourage and build up not create controversy. So perhaps that's why there isn't much in the way of comment.  But I would appreciate an honest critique of this blog if you have a moment.  I'd like to see it expand and grow to a greater viewership but not sure if it is something that appeals to anyone but a narrow tract of friends who either are genuinely encouraged by the insight offered or are just being polite.

Any thoughts, questions, criticism on: 

• the goal of combing Jesus' words, insights from George MacDonald, and my experiences to encourage followers of Jesus in their journey.
• Writing style: predictable, unique, easy/difficult to read, insufficient crediting for quotes, images, etc
• Use of Illustrations, photos, etc
• Theological perspective
• Impact it has on your understanding of discipleship, God, Jesus, obedience, etc.
• Anything else that comes to mind.

If you have any experience in blogging or growing social media that would help me expand this outreach, if you think it has a wider readership potential, would very much appreciated.

Thanks for your help!

In Jesus' love and service,

Charlie

The End Times.5

"When the end times comes, and you see the 'abomination of desolation,' spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the sacred place, then it is time for those that dwell in the cities to flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetops turn to save anything that is in the house; neither let those working in the field go back to fetch their belongings.

Sorrow, to those who bear children in those days! May their flight not be in winter, nor on the Sabbath: for there will be great distress, unequaled since time began. Except such days be shortened, few would endure: and yet those days shall indeed be shortened, for the sake of God's chosen."

--Jesus

Rush Limbaugh has stated to his vast radio audience, on not a few occasions, that he will assuredly let them know when it is time to panic!

I wonder if Rush is listened to in Iraq?

A note Franklin Graham posted on social media recently:

"Up to 40,000 Iraqis, many of them Christians, are trapped right now on a mountaintop in northern Iraq surrounded by Islamic terrorists. Children are dying of thirst, and if the people come down they will be slaughtered. "Genocide is taking place today in northern Iraq, where Christian and Yezidi populations are being exterminated," Congressman Frank Wolf said in a letter to President Obama. They desperately need our prayers and immediate international intervention. Why is the world standing by and doing nothing?"

Genocide and inhumanity are as much a part of the world's history as invention and progress. Throughout history the Jews, especially, have been targeted for annihilation; seven times to be specific. Jesus's warning regarding the end times adds a new twist to an age old plot: his followers would also be targeted for termination! 

Knowing the premium Jesus has on righteous character, the number of times He's commanded His followers to not fear, and the revelation that cowards will not occupy his Kingdom, does it strike anyone else as odd that He'd instruct his followers to flee?

Pinning His prophetic words to actual events can be an exercise in futility...ask the believers in Mosul whose houses were

Arabic letter "N" for Nasrani symbolizing
followers of the Nazarene - Jesus

identified with the Arabic letter "N" for Nasrani, followers of the Nazarene, who, out of necessity, abandoned their homes, but not their faith, if this is the Great Tribulation! Rather, look how their faith is being broadcast to the whole world while exposing the wretchedness and brutality of a false, man-made religion bent on domination not salvation.

Certainly what ISIL is doing -- identifying Christians, forcing them from their homes, brutalizing men, women and children -- is abominable and leads to desolation; it is a cryptic demonstration of the power source behind it: diabolical, demonic, satanic. And for these dear brothers and sisters in Christ, matters little that it fulfills this or that eschatological perspective.

But it may give the rest of us a little perspective on Jesus' words on fleeing at the trigger point of massive, worldwide persecution of both Jews and Christians alike that precedes His Divine intervention into the affairs of mankind. If we see the world falling apart, He knows it is falling into place right where He intends: the final confrontation between good & evil.  The wrath of satan vs the wrath of God.  The eradication of death and the glorious triumph of Life!

Our part, as always, is to obey His divine directives. Flee, not out of panic, but with resolve to minister along the way prepared and purposeful in our understanding that all these things must happen to fulfill all righteousness!

The End Times.4

"The powers of the heavens will be shaken, and people's hearts will fail them for fear, anticipating the calamities that are destined for this world."

--Jesus

By nature I am a timid man.  That is a polite way of saying I'm a coward.  There are vivid memories -- still painful -- of moments when, in front of family and friends, I exhibited paralyzing fear.

I am not proud of those moments; in fact, you could say I 
loathe them...

There are, however, other moments in my journey through time when I demonstrated a degree of courage.

Clearly I like Richard the LyonHeart much more than Charlie the Cowardly Lyon.

If there were one single attribute for which followers of Jesus are persecuted, I believe it is courage, or at least our potential to be courageous when it counts most.  Fear makes people vulnerable and easily manipulated. Those who would control the masses know that fear factors powerfully in managing behavior. But believers, trained in truth and trust, are not easily manipulated by hysterical cries of impending doom.  "I know Whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able..."

To say "We have no King but Jesus!" is not only a declaration of allegiance but a beacon of hope to those whose hearts would fail them in calamity.

Jesus' most dire warning to his followers is that during times of great difficulty, when evil increases, the love of people grows cold. The cords of Love & Courage are inextricably woven into the fabric of Jesus' life and it's tensile strength in the hearts of His followers is tested most severely in times of trial.

"There is no fear in love," fearlessly declares the beloved disciple.  "Perfect Love casts out fear."  Let us give ourselves to His perfecting love every minute of every day that we may share in the company of the courageous, confident we can withstand the worst the world has to try to scare us into submission.

"Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, 

that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, 

and having done all, to stand."

The End Times.3

"If you had only known, in this your day of salvation, the eternal peace so near at hand! 

But now it is hidden from your eyes." 

-- Jesus

When our boys were small 3-D stereoscopic pictures were all the rage.  One son, Danny, could never see the 3-D effect of the pictures.  The trouble was that he could not

Image from Imgur.com

cross his eyes to get the effect.  We never really considered this much of a problem save for his not enjoying the sensation of the interesting images seemingly floating in space.  However, after attending a vision seminar and having Dan's vision tested we learned that inflexibility of the muscles in his eyes had a direct correlation to his difficulty in comprehending and retaining information when he read. A few recommended eye exercises resolved the problem we didn't even know he had!

Not seeing special effects may be disappointing; not comprehending can be downright debilitating. But never acknowledging the problem and finding restoration? Most tragic of all.

Is there anything more tragic for an individual or the race than to be oblivious both to our condition and the cure?

To the best of my knowledge, there is not yet an app for peace.  All the technology in the world will never repair the wrongness in us that disrupts what should be an adventure-filled, collaborative care-taking and awe-inspired harmony with the Creator and His world.

 The real cause of human-kind's trouble is a something many have not recognized even exists, not yet acquainted with its true nature. However absurd the statement may seem to one who has not yet discovered the fact for himself, 

the cause of every man's discomfort, 

his lack of peace, 

is evil, 

MORAL EVIL.

First of all, 

• evil in himself, 
• his own sin, 
• his own wrongness, 
• his own unrightness

and then, evil in those he loves...

Eternal peace can never be achieved by something outside of ourselves: 

• changing our address or social status
• changing jobs
• changing roommates
• changing wardrobes
• changing spouses
• changing diets
• changing doctors
• changing channels
• changing teams
• changing political parties
• changing names
• changing the world

How ever many ways we promote world-change, even if it were possible, we still fail to grasp that we would be out of tune with the thing we've created when we fail to grasp the truth of our own disharmony with our Maker & Master.

To free a man from suffering, his lack of peace, he must be set right, put in health ; and the health at the root of man's being, his rightness, is to be free from wrongness, that is, from sin. A man is right when there is no wrong in him. The wrong, the evil is in him.

He must be set free from it. 

To this end, the Perfect Son of the Perfect Father was born to our eyes.  To be sure, the suffering is causative of the cure for how else can our eyes be opened to the remedy?  The cure is to be made free from the evil in us.  Only the Eternal Prince of Peace paid the price for our freedom.

It is the indwelling badness, ready to produce bad actions, that we need to be delivered from. Against this badness if a man will not strive, he is left to commit evil and reap the consequences. To be saved from these consequences, would be no deliverance ; it would be an immediate, ever deepening damnation. It is the evil in our being — no essential part of it, thank God ! — the miserable fact that the very child of God does not care for his father and will not obey him, causing us to desire wrongly, act wrongly, or, where we try not to act wrongly, yet making it impossible for us not to feel wrongly — this is what he came to deliver us from ; — not the things we have done, but the possibility of doing such things anymore.

For as long as a man continues on loving the darkness in him will he continue to have his eyes hidden to the Eternal Peace ever close at hand.  Open our eyes to see that cure in one man is the beginning of the cure for the whole race!

(adapted from Hope Of The Gospel, Salvation From Sin, by George MacDonald.)

The End Times.2

"My people, my people, you who have killed the prophets, and spurned those sent to you, how often would I have gathered you, even as a hen shelters her chicks beneath her wings, and yet you would not! Behold, your house is left desolate; and you will not see me again until the time when all will say: 

'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

--Jesus

Chasing chickens is not for the faint of heart!  NFL defenses

image from anewscafe.com

used to prepare to face the elusive, Hall of Fame running back, Barry Sanders by letting chickens out onto the practice field!  Watching Barry dart around frustrated grown men as easily as these speedy birds was almost as entertaining as watching our grandkids try to gather chicks let loose in the yard!

There is a reason we associate extreme fearfulness with these fleet fowl: it is extremely hard to even get near them before they take flight! Comparing people to chickens, however, is a pretty accurate way of describing our extreme reluctance to draw near to our Maker who would be our Master.  Because our hearts are so far removed and our eyes so focused on our own security, little can we see the devotion in the face behind the hand extended to save us from our own folly.

But there is a price to pay for morbid devotion to our own self-preservation...

des·o·late

adjectiveˈdesəlit/
1.(of a place) deserted of people and in a state of bleak and dismal emptiness. e.g., "a desolate moor"

Desolation In the USA

"It is hard on God, when His children will not let him give; when they carry themselves so that he must withhold His hand, lest he harm them. To take no care that they acknowledge whence their help comes, would be to leave them worshippers of idols, trusters in that which is not.”

Lord Jesus, we do not understand thee, because we do not trust thy Father – whole-hearted to us, as never yet was mother to her first-born! Full of care, as if he had none, we think this and that escapes his notice, for this and that he does not think! While we who are evil would die to give our children bread to eat, we are not certain the only Good will give us anything of what we desire!

The things of thy world so crowd our hearts, that there is no room in them for the things of thy heart, which would raise ours above all fear, and make us merry children in our Father’s house!" 

(quote from The Cause of Spiritual Stupidity, George MacDonald, Unspoken Sermons II)

Lord Jesus, keep gathering until we realize:

"Lo, here comes One who will increase our loves!"

An Invitation To Life.6

"This good news of the kingdom shall be preached in the entire world as a witness to all nations; and then shall the end come." 

--Jesus

Is the World becoming a better place to live?

According to Matt Ridley, in his book The Rational Optimist, there is incontrovertible evidence that it is.

He was taught to think the future was bleak. 

“The population explosion was unstoppable. Famine was inevitable. Pesticides were going to shorten our lives. The Ice Age was coming back. Acid rain was killing forests … All these things were going to go wrong.” 

Yet time and again, humanity survived doomsday. Not just survived, but flourished. Population increases, yet famine becomes rarer. More energy is used, yet the environment gets cleaner. Innovation and trade keep improving our lives.

“People are much more interested in hearing about something that’s gone wrong. It sounds wiser to talk about what might go wrong than to talk about what might go right.” 

Or what already went right. Over the past 40 years, murder dropped by 40 percent, rape by 80 percent, and, outside of war zones, Islamic terrorism claims fewer than 400 lives a year. The last decade saw the fewest lives claimed in war since record keeping began...the big picture is good news."

In the news business fear sells. To insiders it is affectionately called "pessimism porn" .  Unfortunately, I believe, it is much too prevalent in the Christian community as well. Books, like the Left Behind series, that paint a bleak picture of the end of the world are wildly popular in the church.  

But what if the "end" to which Jesus is referring is a series of endings: to slavery, to disease, to tyranny, to oppression leading to the ultimate end: the end of death.

Freedom unleashed by the Truth lived out by His Kingdom kind, unleashing human potential collaborating with the Spirit of Jesus. The Spirit that is always working to convict of sin, righteousness and judgment, a work that sets free and improves the human condition.

Case in point: Harriet Beecher Stowe's blockbuster book, Uncle Tom's Cabin, described with poignant precision the

wretchedness of slavery in America and the hypocrisy rampant in both the north & south, especially among the religious. A book, that many view, as the catalyst for the widening rift in American society that led to the Civil War.

But her greatest impact was in describing the quiet effects of true Christianity working in the hearts of men - black & white alike.  "Uncle Tom" was not a picture of a compromising black man insulting the condition of his race, but a type of the Ultimate Man who lays down his life for his friends.  

• A true man who won't be broken to accept the dictates of evil.  
• A gentle man who refuses to be reduced to the beastly impulses of those who temporarily control the reins of power.  
• A great man who sacrificially serves the most pitiable around him raising their hopes and calming their fears. 
• A powerful man who quietly subjects himself to the insatiable rage of violent evil.  
• A dying man who's unshakable faith in the freedom of heaven inspires courage and conviction leading to the freedom of his fellows.

The "Utopianists" of all ages hope in a better world, just like true believers.  But for those, like Ridley, Ray Kurzweil, Eric Schmidt, Bill Gates, and many others, hoping in a humanistic, technology driven "New World Order", their faith in the DNA of evolutionary processes will always shape (and justify) the outcome: the stronger will always out "fit" -- and control -- the weaker.

The DNA of the Kingdom of Heaven is Jesus.  He is the Good News that must be preached to the entire world.  For it is his influence - righteousness, peace and joy in the Spirit- continually working through His followers, that makes the world a better place to live by making each individual a better person to be. 

His Kingdom come. 
His Will be done. 
On Earth. 
As it is in Heaven.  
Amen.