I Wonder                                                           09-04-15

Isaiah 59:14-15 (ESV) ¹⁴  Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter.
¹⁵  Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.

My message today is, how may I describe it? A reaction to a reaction? Yes, that's it. I was on the phone this P.M. and the person on the other end told me that they liked to read the comments posted by various folk at the end of articles. It reminded me of a reaction I had to a post I read just yesterday. 

I wondered, after reading comments about the lady in Kentucky, that denounced her stand on principle. Comments directed at her past personal life that suggested hypocrisy and unlawfulness on her part.

 I wondered, after reading a post about two missionaries in northern Iraq deciding to "stay and minister" to the families of martyred CHILDREN; at risk of death from the hands of ISIS oppressors. This decision made AFTER the U.N. pulled all their people out of the area for fear of persecution. 

This author wonders if we here in America, author included, understand and appreciate the gravity of the somber circumstances we face. I wonder....

 Let me say a couple of things about the lady in Kentucky. As to her hypocrisy, who among us is guilt free? Look at this.

2 Corinthians 4:7 (ESV) ⁷  But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

Brothers and sisters, we, ALL OF US, are nothing more than brittle vessels that have been charged with God's power through the Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.NO ONE stands for God in their own righteousness. If we are criticizing a person's stand for God based on our perception of their personal lives, then we are not righteous, but, self righteous. We need not agree, no no. BUT, when we rule on a person's conviction and sincerity(and a Christian at that) based on their past life, we set
ourselves up as judge and jury. She, like EVERY SINGLE SOLITARY ONE OF US is a sinner saved by grace.I would think that those of us who are of the household of faith, would applaud her courage. Or at least sit in silence if we disagree.

As to her lawfulness? Just this thought.

Acts 5:29 (ESV) ²⁹  But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.

I must be careful not to proof text this scripture. Pulling scripture out of context to prove a point is a widely used method today. But, I think, not so here. Peter was facing the same circumstance that we are talking about today. Standing up to established authority based on conviction and principle. Let me go a bit further here. Without getting bogged down in philosophy, there is a concept in this case that is being played out. It dates back to the 4th or 5th century and is attributed to St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas. This maxim is also a pillar of our English Common Law, on which our Constitution is supported. Simply stated:

"An unjust law is no law at all." 

How do we define "unjust"? For the Christian ,it is any law that opposes God's written revelation. Plain words? If the Bible says it is wrong, it is wrong. If the Bible says it is unjust, it is unjust. No need to go any further.  

Scroll up to the top.....no, wait a minute I will repeat it  here and save you the hassle.   

Isaiah 59:14-15 (ESV) ¹⁴  Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter.
¹⁵  Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice.

Do these words seem relevant today? "......truth has stumbled in the public squares..."

"......he who departs from evil makes himself a prey."

Do these verses provide an accurate sketch of the circumstances we face in this land of ours? I shall leave that to your wonderment.

I sit here today, in the air conditioned confines of my dining room, WONDERING about the fates of those two missionaries and all the little children who are defying the enemy and holding true to their faith. I WONDER about the woman sitting in jail for standing for her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I WONDER about my courage and conviction IF AND WHEN my time comes. I can only pray and plead that God Almighty will protect and give me the mercy and grace to finish my course.

Psalm 3:5-6 (ESV) ⁵  I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.
⁶  I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.


God Bless






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