"The ear that hears the rebukes of life will abide among the wise." (Proverbs 15:31)
Notice who gives, "the rebukes," here. It is not I, nor people around us. It is, "life." The NIV calls it, "life-giving correction." What I see here is not words of rebuke. Rather, "life," itself, "rebukes." People can argue with other people, and sometimes walk away believing they won. No one can do this with life. Life will win any argument we may have with it. I think it's called, "The reality of life."
If it were not so pathetic, the arguing which goes on among political pundits would be amusing. Everyone knows more than the other. This is particularly true among the politically correct people. Obama can only say, "We stand with France," what comfort. Clinton says, "We need to take a harder look at our intelligence " How can we possibly survive without such profundity?!? Last evening's events in France just continue to reaffirm what I have been saying for years (and you can stop reading now if you wish). The war is between the Arab Culture and all other cultures. Islam just came later to give it a "spiritual" twist. Now, of course, Arab/Islamism will kill even "its own kind" if one does not embrace wholeheartedly the other's theology/philosophy. But the stark truth is, what God said of Ishmael was a prophetic word which is playing out in the world with "end-time" intensity, "And he will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone's hand against him...." (Genesis 16:12, NIV)
Last night in Nice, France, "the rebuke of life," came again. Jesus says that we will be hated by all because of our loyalty to Him. Today's Psalms (71-75) continued to affirm this reality between those who are "The People of God," aka, Followers of Jesus, and those who are not. Followers of Jesus are a hated People. We may be the objects of tolerance in "civilized societies," but the fundamental hatred is still there, seemingly passive, though it may be. A Jew once said to American Jews, "Don't think that because you live in America you will escape this." There is no doubt today that, "the rebukes of life," are exposing the ignorance and foolishness of the Global Humanist Culture. "The rebukes of life," are revealing more and more just what you can expect when you allow Arab/Islamism to roam freely in any given culture.
There is a very sobering truth in our text today. Laugh at, reject, belittle those who call people to consider and surrender their lives to Jesus Christ and His "Law/Word." They can call us bigots, narrow-minded, racists, homo-phobes, and purveyors of Islamophobia; no matter. Call me all of that, and we will all still have to deal with, "the rebukes of life." I may go away; life will not.
Last night in Nice, France, "the rebuke of life," came again. Jesus says that we will be hated by all because of our loyalty to Him. Today's Psalms (71-75) continued to affirm this reality between those who are "The People of God," aka, Followers of Jesus, and those who are not. Followers of Jesus are a hated People. We may be the objects of tolerance in "civilized societies," but the fundamental hatred is still there, seemingly passive, though it may be. A Jew once said to American Jews, "Don't think that because you live in America you will escape this." There is no doubt today that, "the rebukes of life," are exposing the ignorance and foolishness of the Global Humanist Culture. "The rebukes of life," are revealing more and more just what you can expect when you allow Arab/Islamism to roam freely in any given culture.
There is a very sobering truth in our text today. Laugh at, reject, belittle those who call people to consider and surrender their lives to Jesus Christ and His "Law/Word." They can call us bigots, narrow-minded, racists, homo-phobes, and purveyors of Islamophobia; no matter. Call me all of that, and we will all still have to deal with, "the rebukes of life." I may go away; life will not.
Father, in Jesus' Name, keep me and Your People ever vigilant. 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.'"
Hebrews 12:2
Hebrews 12:2
