Saturday, August 29th, 2020. 5:14 AM.
Light in the Darkness
I don’t have TV and therefore have not seen any national conventions this year. I only read some headlines on the internet and listen to a few minutes of WBZ-radio news at the hour and half hour a few times a day. Was just thinking today about the phrase: “make America great again” and thinking of those who support those who promote that saying. Has the USA been doing better during the last 4 years? The national debt is very much higher than 4 years ago; the percentage of Americans out of work is very much higher than 4 years ago; the pandemic has made things worse for the people of the USA and for many other countries on earth; politics in Washington is perhaps more gridlocked than it has been for decades; there seems to be much less honesty and respect for truthfulness. It all brings to mind that phrase about “the decline and fall of the Roman Empire.” It is reminiscent of something the great English novelist, Charles Dickens, wrote in A Tale of Two Cities a few hundred years ago – about that historical period preceding the French Revolution.
“I. The Period
It was the best of times,
it was the worst of times,
it was the age of wisdom,
it was the age of foolishness,
it was the epoch of belief,
it was the epoch of incredulity,
it was the season of Light,
it was the season of Darkness,
it was the spring of hope,
it was the winter of despair,
“we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way— in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/98/98-h/98-h.htm
It also reminds of a few Scriptures in Ephesians 6:10-23. NIV.
It wasn’t this way at the end of 2016. And does anyone recall that at the end of President Clinton’s 8 years in office, there was a huge budget surplus of over 1 trillion dollars!!! And what did the incoming administration do with that surplus? They gave it all to the rich — many of whom honestly admitted they didn’t need it. It could have been used responsibly and reasonably and justly to pay down the National Debt, but it wasn’t. It could have been used to do many other responsible and helpful things for the United States of America and Her citizens — but, it wasn’t. It was lavishly and wastefully thrown away on those who had no need of it. And what else happened during that administration – the administration that squandered that trillion dollar surplus on the rich? – a great sign from God happened to show this old world what God thought of them who give to the rich, who love the world and its Corporate State that lies in wickedness, who call darkness light and light darkness – the twin towers came falling down on September 11th, 2001.
The Lord said, “If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!” -Matthew 6:23b. NIV. What a dark thing it is to give to the rich rather than the poor.
“He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich – both come to poverty.” -Proverbs 22:16. NIV.
It seems that many are not able to discern between good and evil; between right and wrong; between fact and fiction; between truth and error.
It seems that many are unable and unwilling to see the Light of Christ – and choose Him and the gospel. Instead, they seem only to be able to choose one party or the other party. They seem not to be able to walk away from both parties – and do what God says:
“Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” -1 John 2:15-17. NIV.
In the book of Galatians in the Bible in chapter 5 is a list of the desires of the flesh. In that list is mentioned among several others: enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy. Aren’t those things inherent in worldly politics?
The Lord Jesus Christ did and does the will of God for us; by believing in Him and receiving Him by faith as our Savior, God allows us sinners to be forgiven and saved by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ’s vicarious work of redemption that He accomplished on the Cross of Calvary for us. Therefore, we are without excuse if we choose not to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ; and choose not to take the only begotten Son of God Jesus Christ as our personal Savior; and choose not to be among those who are looking forward to the coming kingdom of God – but choose instead to love the world that lies in wickedness and that is passing away.
Romans 1-3
This Kingdom | Hillsong (Featuring Darlene Zschech)
Jesus at the Center by DARLENE ZSCHECH
“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.” -James 4:4. NIV.
The Three Crosses
Raise A Hallelujah (Lyrics) ~ Bethel Music
10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord) @CHC // Calvin Ho
What A Beautiful Name (Hillsong) @CHC // Alison Yap
Way Maker – Paul McClure | Moment
The Politics of man pollutes government with darkness through the desires of the flesh —
And then come delusions of false beliefs
And the deceits of speaking lies in hypocrisy
To lead astray those who cannot see the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ
So, they listen to false teachers and rulers who glory in themselves rather than in
The Lord of glory Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 4-6 NIV.
Stars and Stripes
God’s Way of Salvation (John 3:16)
John 3
Mark's Imaginings 