So yesterday a Jordanian pilot was placed in a cage and set on fire and burned alive by terrorists. Apparently beheadings are not evil or sensational enough for ISIS. I recently read some statistics and it was amazing to me how many folks do not believe in good and evil.
According to the latest Barna study the majority of American Christians do not believe that Satan is a real being or that the Holy Spirit is a living entity. In contrast, only about 35 percent of American Christians believe Satan is real. Twenty-six percent strongly disagreed with the statement that Satan is merely symbolic and about one-tenth (9 percent) somewhat disagreed. The remaining eight percent of American Christians responded they were unsure what to believe about the existence of Satan.
Sigh . . . What about the concentration camps of Hitler and his holocaust? What about Stalin and his Gulags? What about the Taliban slaughtering school kids? ISIS? Show me one example in the animal kingdom of animals that perform such atrocities. No, it only happens with people and it happens because of evil hearts inspired by satan.
This morning Jordan hanged two Al Qaeda to avenge their pilot and they are vowing that this is just the start. Wars and rumors of wars abound, men and women are turning colder by the day and their hearts are pointed towards evil. The sad reality about the foregoing statistics is that most of these people have never read the Bible. They are totally absorbed in the mundane and the things in life that don’t matter.
I watched a movie last night and one of the actors was asked if he believed in God and he said “I’ve got stage four cancer what choice do I have?” There is an old saying that there are no atheists in foxholes meaning that when one’s life is on the line questions about God and eternity take on an entire new meaning. People who have gone their entire life as non-believers actually think about it and try to cover that base.
One thing I’ve started asking those who express a disbelief in God to me is: “If you were wrong would you like to know?” Hardly anyone answers “no”. Most people want to know the truth, but not enough people are willing and/or equipped to discuss it with them. We need to change this.
We race towards the end of time and even a cursory examination of the prophecy that remains unfilled in the Bible confirms that daily to us that the end is near. Whether you believe that we are living in the End Times or not, you must surely have to know that your days on this earth are numbered. One statistic cannot be denied and it is that 100% of us will die, (stage four cancer or not). Yesterday when I went in for my pre-op I was given a three page list of all of the things that could go wrong during my operation today. They listed everything from stroke to sudden cardiac arrest.
I’m at peace. If I go down; I go up . . . All of the way up to the throne of God. Why because I chose to follow Jesus Christ many years ago. The actor’s question implied that he had no choice but the fact of the matter is that we don’t have to have to face death to know that we are all going to die. God gave us a choice when He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins. We can choose to reject Jesus Christ and deny the Holy Spirit and be eternally separated from God in hell, or we can be eternally united with Him in heaven by confessing our sins, asking for forgiveness and following Him and not this wicked – wicked world.
The existence of good and evil is just one example of the truths held within the Bible. Reading it these days is like reading the morning paper. What a shame that so many are more interested in their golf game, or being invited to that party of a lifetime.
Use your witness to lead others to Christ while there is yet some time. There will come a day of reckoning. What will you do when called to give an account of your life?
BTW – My surgery today is around 1:30 and will last about 3 hours . . . I have received hundreds of letters telling me that folks are praying for me I am humbled and deeply appreciative. Thank you.
Job 31:14
What will I do when God confronts me? What will I answer when called to account?
February 4, 2015 – Click here to listen