Tuesday, November 4, 2014

A bad start - A happy Ending


Isaiah 13:17-22

I grew-up singing this song; “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, red and yellow, black and white, their all precious in His sight, Jesus loves the little children of the world.”  As one who has come into a relationship by faith in Jesus Christ, who believed in the historical Jesus from a child, but at 27 years of age bowed my knee in faith and agreed with Scripture about my need of forgiveness, that is called confession or repentance. 

Anyone examining my life would have thought it had direction, married to a beautiful young lady, had bought five acres of land, with a house planned for the future, and a baby girl who was the apple of her daddy’s eye.  But I was a mess, living from day to day, fearful of almost everything, and most of all knowing that the intent of my heart was evil.  That is a thumbnail sketch of my life; then I opened a Bible in a hotel room in Victoria, Texas, and read these words: “because it you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)  That night I entered into a relationship with God the Creator, and it was not anything I had done, it was all what had taken place outside of my time line, when Jesus the Son of God stepped from heaven, where He was worshipped as God, and became flesh.  You’ve heard the story of His life and His death on the cross, of Him being tempted, but not sinning, and do you recall how He came and was rejected by His own people, if not, read the account in John’s gospel, the first chapter.

And I bet, no matter if you are one who has no place for Jesus in your life, you will agree this world is not doing so well.  It’s becoming a very dark place where good is being called bad, and bad is being called good.  Something has gone wrong, we live in a time where many people will do more for an animal than for a child, we live in a time where many inside and outside of the Church are angry and hateful to anyone with a different view.  The world leaders talk about diversity and tolerance, but when you examine their words or actions, it is a smokescreen and only applies to those who agree with their desires.

Sounds like a new problem, but it’s not; it is mankind living by their own rules, living a life of 
independence from authority, from the control of God.  Isaiah the prophet of God has seen on the 
monitor of his mind a time where God has had enough, and it is a terrible day when mankind falls
into the judgment of an angry God.  “Behold, I am stirring up the Medes against them, who have 
no regard for silver and do not delight in gold. Their bows will slaughter the young men; they will 
have no mercy on the fruit of the womb; their eyes will not pity children. And Babylon, the glory 
of kingdoms, the splendor and pomp of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when 
God overthrew them.” (Isaiah 13:17-19 ESV)
 
This army God is sending against the nations will be similar to the Medes, no regard for stuff, no 
regard for women or children, its desire is to kill and destroy.  It’s leader will be the one Jesus talks 
about in John 10:10, and Babylon will be any place that seeks the best the world has to offer with 
no desire for the authority of it’s Creator.  When this army is finished those counties will look like 
Sodom and Gomorrah, and those who are left will be as Isaiah describes in 13:7-8.
 
You may be thinking, and how does not tie into “Jesus loves the little children,” and you would be 
so wrong.  God sent His own Son to guide us into the truth, and even now He is sending preachers 
and teachers to warn us, even this writer, and it is your choice, as it was the children coming out 
of Egypt, today choose blessing not curses.  
 
From the Back Porch,
 
Bob Rice

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