"After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, 'Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!...He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.'" (Revelation 19:1, 2)
Some day the, "....blood of His servants shed by...," whomever over the many centuries of human existence will be, "....avenged on her...." Judgment day is coming. Maybe this is a reason so many Followers of Jesus over the centuries have not resisted those who were persecuting them. "....All things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." This is true for all humanity, Believers and non believers alike.
As 2011 comes to a close and 2012 dawns upon us, there will be opportunities for those who follow Jesus Christ to walk in their belief that this world is not the end of things. What seems like injustice now will be dealt with. Those who wrong us, those who persecute us, those who would kill us, indeed, all the injustices of the earth are awaiting the avenging justice and power of the Living Triune God. This should not lead to vindictiveness in those of us who follow Jesus Christ. "Do not say, 'I will repay evil;' Wait for the LORD and He will save you" (Proverbs 20:20). It should deliver us from any sense that unless we retaliate, unless we "get back at them," evil will go unpunished. "'Vengeance is mine,' says the Lord, 'I will repay,'" and, "Behold, it is written before Me, I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will even repay into their bosom...." (Isaiah 65:6)
As the New Year comes, we renew our life style as expressed in Psalm 37:5, "Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I do commit my way to You, trust in You, and thank You that You, "will do it." Amen.
Unreached People Group of the Day: www.apfunreachedpeoples.blogspot.com
Persecuted Christians are denied asylum in the United States, while "whole Muslim communities are entering the US by the tens of thousands per month." Read more at: www.apf327.blogspot.com
Some day the, "....blood of His servants shed by...," whomever over the many centuries of human existence will be, "....avenged on her...." Judgment day is coming. Maybe this is a reason so many Followers of Jesus over the centuries have not resisted those who were persecuting them. "....All things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do." This is true for all humanity, Believers and non believers alike.
As 2011 comes to a close and 2012 dawns upon us, there will be opportunities for those who follow Jesus Christ to walk in their belief that this world is not the end of things. What seems like injustice now will be dealt with. Those who wrong us, those who persecute us, those who would kill us, indeed, all the injustices of the earth are awaiting the avenging justice and power of the Living Triune God. This should not lead to vindictiveness in those of us who follow Jesus Christ. "Do not say, 'I will repay evil;' Wait for the LORD and He will save you" (Proverbs 20:20). It should deliver us from any sense that unless we retaliate, unless we "get back at them," evil will go unpunished. "'Vengeance is mine,' says the Lord, 'I will repay,'" and, "Behold, it is written before Me, I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will even repay into their bosom...." (Isaiah 65:6)
As the New Year comes, we renew our life style as expressed in Psalm 37:5, "Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He will do it."
Father, in Jesus' Name, I do commit my way to You, trust in You, and thank You that You, "will do it." Amen.
Unreached People Group of the Day: www.apfunreachedpeoples.blogspot.com
Persecuted Christians are denied asylum in the United States, while "whole Muslim communities are entering the US by the tens of thousands per month." Read more at: www.apf327.blogspot.com
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
