"O God, why have You cast us off forever!...Lift up Your feet to the perpetual desolations. The enemy has damaged everything in the sanctuary. Your enemies roar in the midst of Your meeting place....They have burned up all the meeting places of God in the land." (Psalm 74)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer put a note in his Bible beside the last sentence in our text after "Kristallnacht," November 9, 1938. The German did not invent such hatred. This has been going on since Cain. It happened again yesterday.
I learned yesterday that 21 Followers of Jesus were beheaded by Arabs; they were "Coptic Christians." This is not, however, a "religious war." This is barbaric ancient tribalism; make no mistake about that! Do not allow the media and ignorance of history deceive you. The whole Shia vs. Sunni "wars" over the centuries is based in tribalism. The murderous, pillaging Mohammed wrote, "I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore, strike off their heads, and strike off every fingertip of them" (Allah, from Qur'an 8:12). Murderous thugs just invented a religion to satisfy and justify their blood lust. Religions of man are just extensions of barbarous tribalism. Look at the Balkans after the 1989 revolutions. Look at Russia and Ukraine. Look at Southern "Christians" and slaves. Look at..................
The question is always, What are you and I to do? " Be not deceived," is an injunction in the Scriptures of the Living Triune God. And there is only one way to win over deception. "Jesus said to them, 'Is this not where you wander out of the way and go wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God'" (Amplified Bible). In short, know your Bible and the Holy Spirit. Pray in your spirit in the Holy Spirit. And above all, Obey, "the Scriptures," and, "the power of God." Jonah said an interesting thing in his prayer, "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs." Neglect of, "the Scriptures (and) the power of God," is a forfeiture of, "the grace that could be theirs."
If you and I are to navigate through this minefield called "life," we desperately need, "the Scriptures (and) the power of God." It is not some natural discernment or ability to "read people." It is only, "the Scriptures (and) the power of God." I know I must sound like the proverbial "broken record," but it is as Moses said to the Jews of the Words of God, "they are your life." Do not allow the water cooler talk and the ignorant media be your source of understanding. Only the Word of God, Jesus, in and by the Holy Spirit, is our understanding, our knowledge, our, discernment.
Father, in Jesus' Name, let me never rely on anything or anyone apart from, "the Scriptures (and) the power of [you]." Amen.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer put a note in his Bible beside the last sentence in our text after "Kristallnacht," November 9, 1938. The German did not invent such hatred. This has been going on since Cain. It happened again yesterday.
I learned yesterday that 21 Followers of Jesus were beheaded by Arabs; they were "Coptic Christians." This is not, however, a "religious war." This is barbaric ancient tribalism; make no mistake about that! Do not allow the media and ignorance of history deceive you. The whole Shia vs. Sunni "wars" over the centuries is based in tribalism. The murderous, pillaging Mohammed wrote, "I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieve. Therefore, strike off their heads, and strike off every fingertip of them" (Allah, from Qur'an 8:12). Murderous thugs just invented a religion to satisfy and justify their blood lust. Religions of man are just extensions of barbarous tribalism. Look at the Balkans after the 1989 revolutions. Look at Russia and Ukraine. Look at Southern "Christians" and slaves. Look at..................
The question is always, What are you and I to do? " Be not deceived," is an injunction in the Scriptures of the Living Triune God. And there is only one way to win over deception. "Jesus said to them, 'Is this not where you wander out of the way and go wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God'" (Amplified Bible). In short, know your Bible and the Holy Spirit. Pray in your spirit in the Holy Spirit. And above all, Obey, "the Scriptures," and, "the power of God." Jonah said an interesting thing in his prayer, "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs." Neglect of, "the Scriptures (and) the power of God," is a forfeiture of, "the grace that could be theirs."
If you and I are to navigate through this minefield called "life," we desperately need, "the Scriptures (and) the power of God." It is not some natural discernment or ability to "read people." It is only, "the Scriptures (and) the power of God." I know I must sound like the proverbial "broken record," but it is as Moses said to the Jews of the Words of God, "they are your life." Do not allow the water cooler talk and the ignorant media be your source of understanding. Only the Word of God, Jesus, in and by the Holy Spirit, is our understanding, our knowledge, our, discernment.
Father, in Jesus' Name, let me never rely on anything or anyone apart from, "the Scriptures (and) the power of [you]." Amen.
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
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
