Sunday, April 15, 2007

Mix Me A Molotov

For our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29)

The professing church has forgotten her first love. Caught between the foes without and the ravening wolves within Christ's little flock today finds itself in the midst of a raging spiritual battle of eternal significance. With the dawning of each new day we find ourselves one day closer to the glorious return of the King of Glory and His day of terrible vengeance upon the wicked oppressors of those He calls His own.

And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? (Luke 18:7-9)

The Holy Writ has many things to say to us in the context of the scripture shown above, but notice the precision of language and the order in which this chain of events is shown. First we are assured that God shall avenge his own elect. As we read in 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. The Almighty's patience, His restraint, is in order to bring Himself much glory and to honor His Word. Secondly the Lord asks a very important and challenging question; when He comes will he find faith on the earth? Oh how this insightful and devastating question strikes at our very hearts! For the heart is where our sinful pride lies secretly hidden away! It's from our hearts that we say within ourselves that we are better than other men, and our faith is our own! May it be far from us! May we always be mindful that our faith is of the Lord, it is His gift to us, not our gift to Him! Lord help us to be humble and broken before You! Let our boast be only in You and not of ourselves!

We know that the Lord Jesus Christ never uttered a prayer that wasn't in line with the perfect will of the Father and we have full assurance that Christ's prayers were, are, and will be answered. It is because of this blessed assurance that we can understand and come to terms with the often overwhelming apostasy, heresy and wickedness that seem to abound both inside and outside the church. God Almighty is absolutely sovereign and is unfolding the scroll of history in accordance with His will and His Word. There can be no doubt that God can and does use the evil designs of corrupted men to bring glory to Himself. Furthermore we know that God has chosen the time at which the current age should transition to a period of Great Tribulation, yet no man knows the timing of this calamitous event.

Those who are called by the name of the Lord need not be shaken by the events transpiring around us. We are His own. But what did Jesus have to say about His own? What did He ask of the Father for those to whom He was sent? John 17 & 18 tell us plainly:

While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. (John 17:12)

That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none. (John 18:9)

Jesus cannot fail in His commission to save those for which He was sent, and let us be ever thankful that we fully meet the critera to qualify to be numbered among those whom the Lord of Glory came to earth to redeem!

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. (1 Timothy 1:15)

Are you a sinner? Do you qualify for the grace offered by the shed blood of the Lamb of God? I can tell you with a bold certainty that the holy scriptures answer this query with a resounding "YES!"

Get up, look up, and pray up for His coming is nigh, even at the door! Even so, come, Lord Jesus!