The Final Outcome

 It is the final outcome that really matters. It is how we end our life that counts. God promises that the final outcome for his children will be complete. Not one will be missing. Death is hard for us to deal with since it is so final. We don’t like things to be final. That’s why we like shopping at big stores like Lowe’s and Walmart, where we can take our purchases back if we change our minds, but with death, there is no changing our minds. The Bible explains death to us, but it is up to each of us to deal with it. For example, one of those explanations is found in the book of Isaiah, where there is a comparison of life and death.

The events of Isaiah chapter 34 are events of finality. No changes or refunds will be allowed. You choose it, you keep it. You won’t find a more solemn chapter in the Bible. It is both frightening and revering. This is the final outcome of those who choose their own way and ignore God’s offer of eternal life. The Bible says we will be held accountable whether we like it or not. Those who choose to dismiss the Bible’s prediction of what will happen can do so, but it doesn’t change the events. Here is a glimpse of what that outcome will be for those who have rejected God. “For the Lord has a day of vengeance, a year of retribution, to uphold Zion’s cause” (Isaiah 34:8).  “All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree” (Isaiah 34:4).

While chapter 34 is scary, chapter 35 is comforting. It’s a picture of God’s salvation and the final outcome of those who have chosen God. Isaiah describes a picture of eternal life: “The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God” (Isaiah 35:1-2). Some find it hard to believe that there could be a place like heaven where God’s glory will shine forth for all eternity. God knows that we will need encouragement during the tough times we face in life to believe there is such a perfect place.

God wants us to encourage each other. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;  say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.”  Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped.  Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert (Isaiah 35:3-4).

God never runs low on resources. You will never find God on empty. We learn to encourage each other in the Lord. It’s what we are supposed to do, “Strengthen the weak and fearful among” by pointing them toward God.  God is here to help us. We believe that one day, God will right all the wrongs.

Should a Christian Be Involved In Government?

 Should Christians be involved in government? The answer is yes! There are many examples of godly men and women engaged in government. Daniel advised kings over many decades. Esther used her influence to save her people and implement fair and just laws. Jeremiah spoke to the king and leaders of the nation to influence their policies. Joseph credited God with his placement as prime minister of Egypt. According to Paul in Romans 13, government is ordained by God to promote good and restrain evil. God authorizes the government to wield the sword for the administration of justice. Solomon wrote: By justice a king gives a country stability, but those who are greedy for bribes tear it down” (Proverbs 29:4). He also stated, Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people” (Proverbs 14:34).

However, we are told not to trust human leaders because they cannot save us (Psalms 146:3). We are to pray that our leaders will adhere to godly policies. When they don’t, we pray that they will change their ways or be removed. We are to love good and hate evil (Psalms 97:10).

We should pray that God raises up godly young men and women who desire to serve their nation in places of leadership. Two worldviews are vying to dominate control of our nation. One is the godless humanist view, which ignores God and biblical morality. The other is a biblical view that embraces biblical principles. The two views are diametrically opposed to each other. While we live in this world, we must obey scripture and follow God’s laws. There will always be opposition to God’s ways, but that does not mean we should give up. On the contrary, we should fight for justice and righteousness. Wilber Wilberforce is an excellent example of fighting for the right and winning. He fought for many decades to see slavery abolished in England, and he did finally see that happen.

Even when we have good leaders, we know that they will fall short because they are humans, and humans fail. Even when their intentions are good, they often fail to bring them into reality. Our only realistic hope is the kingdom of God. God has promised a King who will be wise and understanding, a just Judge who will rule with righteousness and faithfulness. There will never be true peace until Jesus brings it to this world.

Jesus is qualified to lead us and to bring peace to this world. These qualifications are not found in this capacity in any human leader. The Spirit of the Lord rests on him. Jesus will not leave us alone to fight these battles. God encouraged Jeremiah with these words: “I will make you a wall to this people, a fortified wall of bronze; they will fight against you but will not overcome you, for I am with you to rescue and save you,” declares the Lord” Jeremiah 1(5:20).

 

Crime Doesn't Pay

 An SS officer named Adolf Eichmann became a rising star in Hitler’s Nazi army. Asked to head up the mission to rid the city of Vienna, Austria, of Jews in 1938. He did a very efficient job.

In January 1942, Eichmann was put in charge of the final solution—a code name for exterminating all the Jews in Europe. He was in charge of finding, transporting, and killing millions of Jews in the Nazi death camps. He carried this duty out with horrifying efficiency, exhibiting no conscience. He killed around four million Jews in the camps, while another two million were executed elsewhere. After the war, Eichmann escaped justice by fleeing to Argentina, where he made a life for himself and his family in Buenos Aires.

On May 11, 1960, Israel’s Mossad operatives snatched Eichmann away as he was walking from the bus to his home. A Year later, Eichmann’s trial began in Jerusalem. He claimed he was following orders, but the judges found him guilty and sentenced him to die. On May 31, 1962, he was hanged. Justice was late, but it came with finality for Eichmann.

A story in 2 Samuel is about a young Amalekite who brought news to David. He brought an embellished story of how Saul had died. He fully expected that his story would place him in the good graces of the new king. He distorted the truth enough to make himself the “hero” of his story. He claimed he had killed Saul to ease his suffering. He thought David would see his significant accomplishments and reward him. Surely, David wanted the crown. This was his plan and logical thinking, but the Amalekite picked the wrong king because David did not think like that.

We know that the young man who came to David had not, in fact, killed Saul. He just claimed that he had. He fabricated his lie in order to achieve his plan. What he did not understand was David’s righteousness. He miscalculated by not taking into account the character of this king. David asks him, “How is it that dared touch the Lord’s Anointed? (2 Samuel 1:14). David gave the order to execute him.

The Amalekite thought he could seek David’s kingdom while ignoring the king’s righteousness. He exemplifies all who think wrongdoing pays when God’s king reigns. Those who entertain that thought fail to realize that they will ultimately stand before the Lord in final judgment.

Eichmann appeared to have escaped justice for many years, but he did not. It may seem that many have escaped justice, but they will not because the king of the Universe, Jesus Christ, is the one who determines the final outcome. Those who believe God’s Word know it is foolish to defy God’s justice. The Lord forgives those who repent. He restores those who turn to him for help. He has mercy on those who humble themselves. He heals those who cry out to him. But he does not reward unrighteousness.

A Spiritual War

There are two extremes: The first is to disbelieve in the existence of the Devil and his demons. The second is to believe excessively that the Devil is everywhere. It is possible to move from practical disbelief in the Devil and his minions to a preoccupation with them. Believing that the Devil is a demon in your car’s transmission or in your boss at work is taking it too far.

Apostle Paul warns us about spiritual warfare: “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12).

We know from Paul that this is a supernatural struggle in which human weapons and human power are futile. These powers and angels are organized into a formidable force. An example of these mighty angels is the angel prince of Persia and Greece, who hindered the archangel Gabriel in his divine errand in the Book of Daniel. When the angel finally got to Daniel, he explained, 

Daniel 10:12-13 “Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.

After he explained the meaning of a vision that Daniel had received, he said this to Daniel:

Daniel 10:20-21 So he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince. Daniel was given an explanation of the future that was far beyond his own lifetime. But Gabriel pulls the curtain back and allows us to see this spiritual warfare around Daniel.

There is a great demonic enemy with a defined chain of command. The evil described here is not the trivialized little red Devil with a pitchfork.

“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood.” Our enemy is subtle and powerful.

• He hates Jesus.
• He hates everyone who loves Jesus.
• He hates the Church.
• He hates God’s Word.
• He hates our dependence on the Holy Spirit.
• He hates the people who love God and obey his word!

I hate snakes, but I love what happened when Moses and Aaron appeared before Pharaoh to ask for God’s people to be released. At God’s command, Aaron threw down his staff before Pharaoh, and it became a snake, demonstrating that God’s power was with Moses and Aaron (Exodus 7:8-12). Pharaoh’s magicians did the same, and their staff became snakes, too. What a scene! However, this is what happened! “Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs” (Exodus 7:12).

 Aaron’s snake swallowed all the rest. This was a scary but decisive moment as Aaron’s snake eradicated each snake one by one. That demonstration said, “God has power over Satan, and it is far greater!” Think how Aaron felt when he reached down and picked up his huge snake, and it again became his staff. The message is that God has no equal!

 

Run to God

We live in a stressful world that makes impossible demands on our lives, affecting our mood,  how we relate to our families, and, most importantly, God. God knows how we are because he made us. He knows we need to relieve stress, so he gave us a stress plan. There are many places in God’s Word where he tells us how to deal with stress, and here is one that has meant so much to me.

Isaiah 30:15 “This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.”

The secret to this plan is to develop a quiet time where you learn to trust God. This quietness, in time, becomes a way of life. It’s God’s offer that if we abandon all other hope but him and commit to the truth of his word, he will be our strength. Notice, however, the last few words of the verse, “but you would have none of it.” How do we refuse God’s offer? We do it more than we realize. We do it every time we hurry into a business decision without consulting him or every time we form a new relationship and leave him out. We do it whenever we think we can find our own happiness apart from God.

Judah said, “No thanks, God. We will ride off on swift horses” (Isaiah 30:16). How many times do we ride off in the opposite direction of God’s offer in search of our solutions? That is exactly what Jonah did and it didn’t work out too good for him. God warned Judah that their search would be futile and would end up in loneliness “like a flagstaff on a mountaintop.” We have all felt the loneliness of abandoning God’s offer of meeting with him. We often ride off in search of self-validation, but what we really long for is God’s validation.

I am encouraged to see the next verse because it tells us that although you may have refused God’s offer of communion, he still waits for you to return. God longs to be gracious to you.”

Isaiah 30:18 “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;

he rises to show you compassion.

For the LORD is a God of justice.

Blessed are all who wait for him!”

 

Biblical World View vs. Secular World View

 

The world hates us because we expose their sin. Jesus said in (John 15: 22-25) that the world hated him because he had exposed their sin. That has not changed today. It’s not that we go around judging the word; instead, our belief in God’s morality exposes their sin.

Take, for example, the biblical view of abortion and the secular view. Abortion was legalized in this country to help women achieve more social status and live more fulfilling lives, according to the secularist. Biblically, pregnancy is not horrible; it is the amazing moment a new life comes into existence. But the secular view is that this is only a potential life and a justifiable homicide if it is not wanted.

Take, for example, the transgender obsession. Those with a secular view consider anyone who questions their views on transgender as transphobic. We have now gotten to the point that you cannot even ask a question about transgender without causing someone to kill themselves. Our biblical view of men and women will not allow us to be forced to accept this transgender ideology.

The implication is that men who used to be women will kill themselves if we don’t affirm all transgender people. Boys who aren’t allowed to compete on girls’ teams will kill themselves if we don’t affirm them. On the contrary, indulging in these gender fantasies puts kids at risk. We are told to divest our common sense, or kids will die. Easier access to this kind of trans-affirming care — especially without their parents’ consent — is what increases suicide.

The LGBTQ agenda has decided they are not interested in co-existence. Their tyranny has reached ludicrous heights. We have seen the bathrooms, locker rooms, hiring decisions, military policy, health care, education, and now women’s sports as their focus. All of which is grinding women’s rights into dust.

Obsession with the Environment is another example of the vast difference between the two world views. The obsession with the environment to the secularists is a religion. They see the environment as a god to worship. We see the environment as a gift from God for us to administer.

The obsession with race has suddenly and forcefully introduced itself as white supremacy and the oppression of the black race. It is a trick as old as Lenin and Stalin to overthrow our way of life. Their answer to prejudice is to introduce greater prejudice, even justifiable discrimination.

The secular view of free will is that it doesn’t exist. The majority supremacy is causing them to be the way they are. Thus, their position on criminals is lax because they cannot help themselves and should not be held responsible for their actions.

Jesus in John 15:19 told us not to conform to the world’s way of thinking. If we think biblically, we will find our way through this maze of confusion, but we will encounter adversity and maybe even persecution.

Less, not More

 

We are witnessing people who condemn racism with racist language. We are seeing people reject oppression with oppressive behavior. The Black Lives Matter movement has set itself up as the great arbiter of truth. When they call someone or something racist, we are all supposed to believe it. Never mind that their words and language are entirely repugnant and racist. Antifa and the BLM movement is nothing but a vehicle to overthrow millions of Americans’ freedoms. BLM promises us that the solution to our racist past is a new form of government with them in charge. They claim we need more government control. NO, thank you!

The most shocking racism in the world is oppressive government control. That is what socialism is.  A prime example of oppression was the construction of the Pruitt-Igoe buildings in 1954 here in St. Louis, thirty-three eleven-story buildings built on fifty-seven acres located just two miles from the Arch. This was possible because of the 1949 Housing Act passed under the Truman administration. This act gave the government the right of eminent domain, where the government exercises a strong arm of taking private property for public use. The Eisenhower administration funneled money to the city of St. Louis for their construction. Amity Shlaes says, “No urban renewal construction, captured more of the ambition and failings of government intervention in housing than that in St. Louis. Thousands of people lost their homes as entire neighborhoods were obliterated.[i] The government’s thirty-three concrete towers, each with elevators that stopped on every other floor, comprised the dream to cure poverty as this project was repeated in many other cities.

This new dream cure became a dream crusher as it displaced families first by moving them from their homes and then allowing only one parent—the mother and children to move into the towers. Tens of thousands of families lost a father. If they came for a secret visit, the family had to lie, but most fathers simply moved away and didn’t return. The project was run like something out of Stalin’s Russia, no fathers allowed, no television, no phone. Social workers policed the apartments for conformity. Who could have imagined a rationale for such stupid rules? Very quickly, the project descended into crime-ridden, dangerous places to live. The decay was evident. Even Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty in the 1960s couldn’t save Pruitt-Ignore. By 1976 Pruitt-Igoe had all been torn down. About thirty of the fifty-seven acres are still barren today.

Someone who saw the travesty of what was happening was John Shocklee, a priest who began to buy up dilapidated houses and rehab them for families. Seeing Shocklee’s success, Pulaski Bank and other individuals and businesses joined him in standing up to government racism. Shocklee’s work occurred in the shadow of Pruitt-Igoe, as he helped blacks own their homes despite the overwhelming presence of a massive Federal/City government that could care less.

We hear that racism is rampant, and the whites of this country must pay. I submit to you that racism has always been present, but the biggest racists have been the government policies. The Pruitt-Igoe project was an anti-family racist policy that prohibited fathers from being with their own families. We need laws and policies that support the family, encourage private ownership, and create private businesses and jobs. We need less government, not more. The less government we have, the more we thrive. Less government means we embrace freedom and our fellowman’s needs the way John Shocklee did when he built homes for people booted out by their own government.

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[i] Shlaes, Amity. Great Society (pp. 238-241). Harper. Kindle Edition.