Unpopular Reality
If you have not been paying attention to the firestorm of news stories this week, a lot has happened quickly. The sum of it is this: the United States of America is under judgment from the Lord. Christians must learn to read the story we are in, and do so in light of the story of God’s redemption!
Two different black men were killed by police in two different states, which incited protests by the “Black Lives Matters” folks, which led to last night’s tragedy in Dallas; it was the most deadly day since 9/11 for law enforcement. This happening right on the tail of the FBI recommending that–despite clear violations of the law (really well outlined here)–Hillary Clinton should not be indicted; Donald Trump is the presumptive GOP nominee, a man with no guiding principle other than expediency; 50 lives were cut short in the Orlando terror shooting; and on the worldwide stage, Iraq, Turkey, Brussels, and Bangladesh have all seen the horrific nature of the monster which is ISIS (a product largely of Obama and Clinton’s foreign policy).
It isn’t popular to say, but this is judgment from the Most High.
But let’s get this straight…
Judgment from God is also a mercy, and this is something that must be understood by Christians. All of these current events, which might lead some to recoil in fear, uncertainty, and dread, are in the hand of the One who holds the scepter of the universe. When a country, and in a certain sense the entire world, is faced with such a turbulent year, the worst thing that can happen is for us to miss the purpose for which these shakings are sent to us.
David warned Solomon that, “if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever (1 Chr. 28:9).” Notice that in both scenarios, God is the one with His hand on the driver’s wheel; a person or nation seeking God finds that it is God that first loved and sought him. However, if a person or community insist on forsaking God, it is God that is, in fact, turning them over to there carnal lusts. God is catching them in his net of His justice.
We have rebelled from serving the Living God and His Word, and so such violent and turbulent upheavals of our culture should not come as a surprise. These are God’s judgments upon us, but let’s get this straight, God’s judgment, is, in itself, an act of mercy. We are left, this morning, asking, “Why?” And, to make matters worse, either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump will be the next president of these forlorn States of America. We may ask, “What in the world are we to do about this train wreck our country is in?” Had we been left to enjoy our atrocious lust and greed and bloodthirst, we would never have come to ask the sort of questions that bring us to realize that Jesus Christ and His Word are the only solution to man’s woes, both individually and communally.
We Deserve All This
Our nation has murdered 500,000 babies this year. Our Extreme Court has ruled that marriage is defined by whim and not by God’s revelation in creation and in Scripture. Our electorate has chosen the worst possible candidates to be the head of our state; furthermore, both candidates fiscal policies will likely add trillions to our already gluttonous debt-load, yoke  our children and grandchildren into thralldom for the sake of our greedy ambitions. We have cast off all restraint, and we are find that rather than getting out from under God’s law, we are being caught by God’s law, and we deserve every inch of it, and likely more.
Nevertheless, the Lord is goodness indeed. He shakes the pillars of our intrinsic humanism, shaking Man’s kingdom, so that only the unshakeable Kingdom of God remains (Heb. 12:27). The only way ought from under God’s judgment, is not to flee from God, but flee to God in Christ Jesus His Son. The only hope for mankind is in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. And that is what all this societal turbulence is sent from God to accomplish, which if you’re eyes are open, is a most merciful gift from God.
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