| 2008 December 30, 2008 2008 holds no promise of its own. There is nothing to look forward to. The only change that's likely to happen is that the world will get worse. After cheers and celebrations at midnight of where ever you are, what promise is there? Possibly a vague hope that 2008 will be better than 2007 either financially or personally? Doubtful. 2007 has ended very badly. Assassinations, war, riots, threats, terrorism, foreclosure, hunger, poverty, general panic, political bickering, agendas; America has presidential elections coming in 2008 and I look forward to this with as much dread as a serious and painful life-threatening illness. Four years ago we re-elected someone who seemed to be quite different than what he has shown us. After having been elected to the second term, Mr. Bush stated that the American people had given him credit and now he was going to spend it. And boy, has he spent. Papa Bush has put this country on a steep decline. He did so claiming that he was a reborn Christian, and I believe that many of his decisions have been so self-serving that if I were not a Christian already, I would never want to be one if that was an example of what a Christian is. But I am not perfect either, am I? I sin often. I entertain fears for the future of my children when I know that I should not be afraid because God has his good plan for the world. So many people are terrified of global warming, that one would seem like a fool not to believe it. We must always remind ourselves of God's promises made back after the flood that as long as the earth continues, there will be a season for planting and a season for harvest. Beware of anyone who calls himself a Christian and believes in global warming as the doom of the earth. And if you can't believe what it says in the Word of God, then try to remember that back in the 1970's they were telling us that we were headed into another ice age. Remember that? So many people are afraid of running out of oil and the effects of oil consumption on the environment. Oil companies are creating panic to raise the prices. I am not afraid of running out of oil as much as I am afraid of running out of money to pay for the oil. The quantity of available oil is another page, but I understand that the region around Sodom and Gomorrah was very rich in this type of natural resource and part of the problem that God was seeing when he destroyed that region, was the greed on the part of those who owned that resource and the gouging of the poor. Beware of anyone that calls himself a Christian that is getting that rich off of the suffering of others. If you can't believe what it says in the Word of God, then try to remember back in the 1970's when they were telling us that our oil reserves were going to dry up by 1990. Chicken Little. In this fairytale everyone believed that doomsday had arrived. Then, on the way to tell the king, they were all eaten by a fox. There was a real danger present in the world, but it wasn't a falling sky. Neither is global warming. Neither are oil reserves. But these galactical "problems" put everyone's attention on their immediate physical survival and they are not seeing the fox slipping in to devour their souls. That fox, the real danger, is a list of symptoms so enormous that for me to list them here would possibly drive you into a feeling of utter despair and hopelessness and that is never my intention. Suffice it to say that the only problem is that we believe that after the 6,000 or so years that have passed since the creation of this planet, we still know more than the God that made us. We think the world would be a better place if human beings stopped using it so much and just let it be natural. This includes raising children to be "natural" via government interference in the family. And when they are too natural, our good and wise schools stick them on Ritalin. We think that global relations would be better if we all just combined our resources and became one big happy planet all speaking the same language and having the same form of government. Sounds like Babylon. Or the United Nations. And we view progression of civilization as giving up everything that we believe is right so that we don't offend anyone who might believe otherwise. Year after year the story is the same, played in reruns that no one ever seems to learn from. I don't claim to know what will happen in 2008, but from history, it appears that we will not learn a thing. But I know that Jesus is coming some day to judge all of us. I don't know when, but 2008 is closer to the year of his return than 2007 and that gives me some hope. As I said before, I sometimes worry for my children. I worry that they have learned enough to stand up for the truth and not be afraid even if it means the end of their life here on this earth. I wonder if each child's faith is strong enough to trust that Jesus has covered their sins with his own blood and saved them from his judgement. I wonder it about myself. The Revelation of Jesus to John is a terrifying story of where the path of this world is taking us and God's judgement for the war that has been waged by the world against Jesus. It is written and there is nothing that any of us can do to stop it. All of the summit meetings about global warming and environmental issues as well as conferences about religion and treaties and peace on earth cannot stop the terror that is coming to this earth. Many theologians argue as to whether this is figurative, or prophetic language or if the events will be just as stated. I don't really care. It is plain enough that God's judgement will be terrible for anyone who has denied Christ; all those who brag about their sins and those who say terrible things and believe themselves to be cool; those who have treated the poor as if they were filthy and felt superior about it; those who have robbed the poor and called it "interest"; those who sin sexually and encourage others to do so. It is not God's will that any should be lost, however. Yes, his judgement will be terrible, but God is so full of mercy, that if you are reading this, He is reaching out His hand to rescue you. Sinner, this message is for you. The one who knows he's been bad as is not proud of it. It is not God's will that you should suffer on that terrible day. And the blood of Jesus is shed, not for people who are good, but for people who are bad. Your hurt and shame belong to Him now. The things that you have done are not more powerful than the blood of Almighty God. Confess your sin to God who hears and receive His forgiveness. Let Him free your worried mind not only of your guilt, but of the "Chicken Little Syndrome" and experience the joy of a life that trusts God and not the real danger of evolutionary science. When you know the truth, 2008 could just be a good year. ~GG Please share the Good News. | |