Perhaps it may turn out a sang,
Perhaps turn out a sermon.

-- R. Burns Epistle to a Young Friend

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Rave On



Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? -- Psalms 2:1


The answer to that is, whatever the world may claim, they do not believe.  James 2:19 says, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”  The demons believe that God exists for they must do battle with Him.  What they do not believe is that God is good, that His will is good for them and for all of creation.  They believe they know better than God what is going to please them. 

We witness this all around us today.  Politicians commonly pay lip-service to God to reassure voters while failing to live by the most basic of His precepts.  Many who call themselves Christians -- because they believe that God exists, have created for themselves a mental version of the golden calf.  Those Israelites who handed Aaron their jewelry and danced before the idol were not atheists.  They simply believed they could worship and serve the creation and the creature rather than the Creator, that some attributes of the creature were greater than the God who had brought them out of bondage.

Many believe in the divinity of human reason which, according to their beliefs, arose from dead, thoughtless matter.  Meanwhile, the ability to plot and rage against the Divine, to question God’s wisdom and His righteousness comes from Him for we are made in His image and likeness.  Something tells me this will not work out the way the world expects. 

We are not on the verge of some great humanistic triumph.  We are about to discover, in blood and terror, the limits of human understanding and the corruption of the human soul from which, alone, faith in Christ can deliver us.  Believing something about God, Jesus, and the Bible will not be enough.  Believe in; believe on; believe through. 

As Buddy Holly said:
Well, rave on, it's a crazy feelin' and
I know, it's got me reelin'
I'm so glad that you're revealin'
Your love for me
Rave on, rave on and tell me
Tell me, not to be lonely
Tell me, you love me only
Rave on to me

3 comments:

Allena-C said...

"Politicians commonly pay lip-service to God to reassure voters while failing to live by the most basic of His precepts. Many who call themselves Christians -- because they believe that God exists, have created for themselves a mental version of the golden calf."

Well said, Dwayne. I don't recall a time, during my life so many politicians that peddle fear and hate. They have always been around but not to this degree. And everyone is so bitter and cynical. The last President who wasn't like that was Reagan, who, instead of speaking like that, spoke instead of the shing city on the hill, that beacon of liberty that is the USA. And, more importantly, he believed that. He inspired simply by talking about why America is so special.
Oh, to be sure, he wasn't perfect and he would be the first to say so, but he was decent, and humble, and he truly cared about all Americans, not just one party, faction or his friends.

I see very little of that today. Even among Christian leaders. They too have peddled in hate, rather than compassion and love. It seems many Christians are more concerned about making themselves feel better by judging those outside their particular sect. Instead of witnessing Christs love they are all fire n' brimstone all the time, or have eschewed working out their own salvation.
Certainly, they rarely imitate Christ. They are the modern day pharisees who have their own golden calfs.

But there is always a remnant, no matter how bad it gets, and there is always hope in God.

mushroom said...

Very true, Allena. God is not being caught off guard. He isn't worried, so I am not.

Allena-C said...

Amen, my friend! The love and friendship you have shown me has greatly bolstered my hope, and You and all my raccoon brothers and sisters under the pelt are wonderful examples of how Christians ought to be! You all walk the walk. 😊