Fame, Riches, Position and Power Can End Abruptly!

Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit"; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that." --- James 4:13-15

The sudden death of Tim Russert, well known host of “Meet the Press,” has been dominating news events for days since it happened. There have been some minor distractions such as a couple of teams known as Lakers and Celtics doing battle, Tiger Woods’ win of the U. S. Open, antics of some entertainment celebrity, the legality of the “Queen of Mean” in leaving 12 million dollars to her dog, etc.

A host of tributes has been issued, proposals to memorialize Russert in different ways have been made and endless discussions as to his success and effectiveness continue to take place here and there.

What is frequently forgotten in the midst of fame and fortune as well as on the part of the masses of unknowns who have neither fame nor fortune is this:

• we are sinful mortals each of which is under the sentence of death – Hebrews 9:27 quite bluntly tells us, "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment..." And note also the details of sin being universal – a malady infecting the entire human race in Romans 3.
  
  
• we are prone to take much in life for granted such as expressed in Psalm 49:11 - "Their inner thought is that their houses will continue forever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names." Notice the rather common attitude of one fellow who said to himself, "And I will say to my soul, 'Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take your ease; eat, drink, and be merry.'" (Luke 12:19).
  
  
• we each stand in need of redemption from our sins -- how more plainly stated can it be than this? "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18).
  
  
• each of us has to choose where our focus is going to be during our life's journey – on Jesus Christ and what He has in mind for us as to the direction our life shall take or self-determined goals and career -- you know, the big "I" calls all the shots! Jesus spelled out success in terms of time and eternity by saying those who come to Him, listen and do what He says are like a wise man who built a house on a foundation of rock, but those who refuse to listen and do not do what He says are like a foolish man who built a house on a foundation of earth – when the storms came and beat upon both houses – one stood and one collapsed – can you guess which one weathered the storm and survived? The lesson is clear – failure to take Jesus Christ and what He has to say seriously with commitment will always result in disaster! See details at Luke 6:47-49
  
  
• each of us will ultimately face Him and our eternal destiny will be determined by Him. We will hear Him saying one of two possible statements to us:
  It will either be:
  

  
  "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'" (Matthew 25:23).
  

  
  Or it will be
  

  
  "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'" (Matthew 7:23).
  

  
  

The wise person will live in this present world in such a manner that when his/her time on earth is terminated he/she can say the same as did an apostle named Paul:

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." (2 Timothy 4:7, 8)

And when people refer to your passing from time into eternity the highest tribute that can be made is a simple phrase as was said of Abraham – “And he was called the friend of God.” (James 2:23).

Protest Posters to Greet Bush on Middle East Visit!

Now the LORD had said to Abram: "Get out of your country, from your family and from your father's house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.".... Then the LORD appeared to Abram and said, "To your descendants I will give this land." And there he built an altar to the LORD, who had appeared to him.

And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: "Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are; northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you."
--- Genesis 12:1-3, 7; 13:14-17

Things are heating up in certain areas of the Middle East as President Bush prepares to spend some time going from place to place.

A number of persons and groups are upset with Bush due to the push on his part to have a Palestinian "state" created. In Bush's mind, as well as in the minds of the members of his administration, this is the way to resolve the ongoing conflict and bring about peace. Even a number of high profile professed "evangelicals" have jumped on the band wagon and given their endorsement to this venture!

The poster above makes an appeal that Bush, who attempts to identify with "evangelicals," ought to read his Bible on this issue. The covenant which God made with Abraham makes reference to a land which Abraham's descendants are to be given -- a few of us still believe that God is the owner of everything and can choose what He wants to give and to whom it will be given at any time that He determines! The earlier statements as noted above do not mention any boundaries. That comes a bit later -- take a bit of time to ponder on the western and eastern boundaries as God most clearly defines them:

On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying: "To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the River Euphrates; the Kenites, the Kenezzites, and the Kadmonites; the Hittites, the Perizzites, and the Rephaim; the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites." --- Genesis 15:18-21

Now there has been a lot of "song & dance" routines over the centuries about how that is to be interpreted and in most cases it seems that the covenant God made with Abraham and territory promised doesn't mean anything any longer. We are to focus on the "church" and matters related to it and quit discussing anything that pertains to the Jews, etc!

Another thing to bear in mind that the covenant was renewed with Isaac and later with Jacob. Abraham's son, Ishmael, who was born to the handmaid, Hagar, was also mentioned by God. Ishmael's descendants would become a great nation, but no territory is mentioned in connection with that promise as in the case of Abraham's son, Isaac! The Arab peoples are large in number today but actually have no claim to territory as do the descendants of Abraham through his son, Isaac. The Arabs presently occupy a large segment of land in the Middle East, but that will be changed one of these days -- Jesus Christ, the Son of God (and Messiah), will see to that at a time He has predetermined.

Jesus made some reference to this issue in a couple of statements such as:

"There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last." --- Luke 13:28-30

So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." --- Matthew 19:28

Israel has been pressured time and time again to give in and yield -- the Israelite people are hated and despised by many nations -- listen to the babbling that goes on in that hall of chaos known as the United Nations for graphic truth of this, especially when some issue that involves Israel comes up -- those people are always the bad guys!

And it appears that United States support is beginning to waver more and more -- listen to Secretary of State, Condoleeza Rice, expound on the issue!

Another poster will also greet President Bush as he makes his way through certain locations in the Middle East -- it has upset a lot of people, but is it really all that far off base?

Now is the time for Christians to be searching the promises that pertain to God's restoration of Israel, the humiliation of Gentile nations, the future glory of Israel and the city of Jerusalem. What has to be resolved is this -- does God really mean what He says, and does He keep all His promises?

And a prayer on this matter coming right out of the Bible is good to keep always in mind as well as practicing what is suggested:

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces." For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, "Peace be within you." Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek your good. --- Psalm 122:6-9

And how about this promise -- or has God changed His mind, and we can just write this one off as being no longer in effect -- but then, if that is the case, can we really believe God for anything at all?

For Zion's sake I will not hold My peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp that burns. The Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory. You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD will name. You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God. You shall no longer be termed Forsaken, nor shall your land any more be termed Desolate; but you shall be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD delights in you, and your land shall be married. For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall your sons marry you; and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem, who shall never hold their peace day or night. You who make mention of the LORD, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. --- Isaiah 62:1-7

By the way, for more details on what God has promised regarding Israel and Jerusalem, see O Jerusalem, What a Surpise Is in Store for You! A link at the bottom of that area will bring you back to this place.

In Possession of a Whore's Forehead!

"You have had a harlot's forehead; you refuse to be ashamed." -- Jeremiah 3:3b

What a scathing indictment! It is the ultimate of all reprimands -- the Mt. Everest of all circumstances in which a harsh rebuke has been issued!

Here is a culture that prides itself on being identified as the people of the living God of Israel -- the God Who had been their God for centuries dating back to the time when this God had called their ancestor, Abraham, and had established a covenant with him. This covenant assured Abraham that his descendants would be as the stars in the sky in terms of numbers and they eventually would own and occupy territory which stretched from the Euphrates River in the East to the Mediterranean Sea in the West. This last part about territory and the future glory of Jerusalem has yet to be fulfilled.

This God had spelled out specific spiritual, moral, and ethical standards which the people were expected to fully implement in their way of life and relationships with each other. How the people responded to this revelation and expectation by God was extremely critical for their ongoing existence and survival.

As time passed they gradually adopted lifestyles and worship practices of the heathen peoples surrounding them. Still claiming to be God's people they began sacrificing their children to a god named Molech and engaged in temple prostitution as well as sexual immorality in their relationships. The day of worship was increasingly desecrated and greed began to dominate as leaders and people focused on selfish desires at the expense of fellow citizens! Idolatry became a pandemic condition with God declaring,

"As the thief is ashamed when he is found out, so is the house of Israel ashamed; they and their kings and their princes, and their priests and their prophets, saying to a tree, 'You are my father,' and to a stone, 'You gave birth to me.' For they have turned their back to Me, and not their face. But in the time of their trouble they will say, 'Arise and save us.' But where are your gods that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise, if they can save you in the time of your trouble; for according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah." -- Jeremiah 2:26-28

Now then, hit the FF button on your remote and speed into the 21st Century in the United States of America.

There, do you see them? They stand out clearly -- you know, those footprints on the path before us which we are travelling? Those were made by the ancient Israelites in the 6th and 5th Centuries BC!

We are proud of our heritage and it is not uncommon to hear expressions such as "God bless America!" and "We are a Christian nation!"

What other nation has "In God We Trust" stamped on coins and printed on currency? What other nation has citizens placing hand over heart and in pledging allegiance to its flag and to the republic for which it stands repeats a phrase such as this -- "...one nation under God...?"

But as we travel the same path as those 6th Century BC Israelites we find much duplication:

• we too destroy children -- about 100,000 unborn are mangled and murdered each month of the year!
  
  
• we too engage in idolatry with money being but one of many powerful gods to which we pay homage in our culture -- church, government, business, entertainment, and the many professions have all been impacted by the invasion of the "gods" that compete for our time, energy, and loyalty!
  
  
• we too engage in widespread sexual immorality involving many varieties of expression with "sexual buffets" being accepted as "normal" and our young getting sexually involved at younger and younger ages as time passes. An interesting by-product has also been taking place -- it's called STD's (sexually transmitted diseases) with some incurable and a couple or so proving to be fatal!
  
  
• we too desecrate the day of worship having turned it into a day of business activity, fun, and games with less than half our population entering a place of worship on any given Sunday!
  
  
• our professed "religion" too often resembles a trumpet with an uncertain sound which is interpreted by the world to mean, "Sin all you want -- God just wants you to be happy doing what you do and when it's over, He'll welcome you through the pearly gates of heaven!"
  
  
• we brainwash the majority of our young into believing their ancestry is traced back to a couple of wriggly organisms in a slime pit millions of years ago!
  

What objections can you raise as to why Almighty God should not say to us in these United States as He said to those in the ancient kingdom of Judah long ago, "You have had a harlot's forehead; you refuse to be ashamed."?

And we dare not -- in fact, we must not think of the possibility of God bringing judgment on a republic known as the United States, right? It's just too unsettling -- it makes us react like a worm on the surface of a hot skillet!

Two Faiths – Two Books – Two Deities, But Only One Will Prevail!

Islam, embraced by Muslims, has millions of devotees all over the world. Likewise, Christianity, embraced by those who have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, has a considerable number in many parts of the world.

The Muslims have a holy book known as the Qur’an (or Koran) and get very upset if it is shown any kind of disrespect. Christians also have a holy book known as the Bible. They also get upset if the Bible is shown disrespect. How Muslims and Christians react to those who would show and demonstrate disrespect for their holy books can be very different.

The deity of the Muslims is Allah. The deity of the Christians is most often referred to as God Who has chosen to manifest Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit throughout the centuries of human history. Christians have been criticized and accused of being polytheists because of identifying God in such a manner.

The United States is one country where efforts have been made to enter into “dialog” and establish “civil” discourse among Muslims and Christians. For some it is a matter of recognizing that we are all “on a spiritual journey” and we are all “seeking the same goal” therefore we ought to respect one another and discuss where we have “common ground” so that we can work together for the common good of all persons, nations, etc.

President George W. Bush speaking at a news conference held with Tony Blair in the United Kingdom some time back stated that he believes Muslims and Christians worship the same God. A number of persons would heartily agree with the statement and appeal that we should be able to live peaceably with each other on this basis.

The hard reality is that Christianity and Islam in their purest expressions are totally incompatible. When these two faiths become corrupted due to false teachings within the ranks, or professed “believers” rely on personal opinions and what “feels good” rather than on the teachings as revealed in the Bible or the Qur’an, or leaders in these faiths claim to speak with “authority” but at same time deny basic teachings of the holy books, then the faith of each has been compromised. The claims of being exclusively the only true faith have been essentially destroyed and anyone can jump on the religious band wagon, stake out a claim, and be recognized as being as genuine as anyone else who has a “spiritual” fiddle to play!

The grand finale of human history is where one sees the sharp contrast between a future as viewed from statements in the Qur’an and that of the holy Bible.

First, see the Qur’an, Surah 2. The Cow (statements 126 – 132):

And remember Abraham said: "My Lord, make this a City of Peace, and feed its people with fruits,-such of them as believe in Allah and the Last Day." He said: "(Yea), and such as reject Faith,-for a while will I grant them their pleasure, but will soon drive them to the torment of Fire,- an evil destination (indeed)!" And remember Abraham and Isma'il raised the foundations of the House (With this prayer): "Our Lord! Accept (this service) from us: For Thou art the All-Hearing, the All-knowing. Our Lord! make of us Muslims, bowing to Thy (Will), and of our progeny a people Muslim, bowing to Thy (will); and show us our place for the celebration of (due) rites; and turn unto us (in Mercy); for Thou art the Oft-Returning, Most Merciful. Our Lord! send amongst them an Messenger of their own, who shall rehearse Thy Signs to them and instruct them in scripture and wisdom, and sanctify them: For Thou art the Exalted in Might, the Wise." And who turns away from the religion of Abraham but such as debase their souls with folly? Him We chose and rendered pure in this world: And he will be in the Hereafter in the ranks of the Righteous. Behold! his Lord said to him: "Bow (thy will to Me):" He said: "I bow (my will) to the Lord and Cherisher of the Universe." And this was the legacy that Abraham left to his sons, and so did Jacob; "Oh my sons! Allah hath chosen the Faith for you; then die not except in the Faith of Islam."

Next, see the Qur’an, Surah 2. The Cow (statements 191 – 193):

"And fight in the way of Allah with those who fight with you, and do not exceed the limits, surely Allah does not love those who exceed the limits. And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers. But if they desist, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. And fight with them until there is no persecution, and religion should be only for Allah, but if they desist, then there should be no hostility except against the oppressors."

Now see what is revealed in the Christians' holy Bible in Philippians 2:5 – 11:

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

And note Bible statements in 1 Timothy 6:11 – 16:

But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ's appearing, which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.

However, the greatest contrast not only between Christianity and Islam, but between Christianity and all other religious expressions in the world is in the fact of incarnation and redemption. Only Christianity reveals a God Who loved the members of the human race so much He was willing to become human. And not only did He become human, but ultimately He sacrificed Himself for all the sins of the human race and made possible total forgiveness of those sins on the condition of repentance (turning away from those sins) and acceptance of Jesus Christ (God in human form) as Savior and Lord.

Thus the Christian can say to the Muslim or a member of some other religious group, “Jesus died for your sins just as He did for mine – He loves you, and by accepting Him as Savior and Lord of your life, you can be forgiven, have peace with God, and the assurance of a place in His Kingdom forever!”

The Muslim, or a practitioner of some other religion cannot make similar statements of that kind to a Christian – there is nothing in whatever “sacred” writings they may have that even comes close to teaching their deity or deities becoming human and personally atoning for the sins of each human being ever born into this world! In fact, in some areas where Islam fully dominates and controls the culture, if a Muslim should choose to become Christian, execution of that convert will usually take place -- the reason being that the Muslim has abandoned his faith and has become an infidel! Islam in its purest form seeks to establish a world where it is fully accepted and infidels exist no longer.

However, the exclusive claims and demands made by Jesus set Him apart from and superior to all deities as taught by the hundreds, if not thousands of religious groups which have sprung up as human history has run its course through the centuries. If you haven’t done so lately, review His claims and demands as revealed particularly in the Gospel of John in the New Testament.

It was after His glorious resurrection from the dead that He commanded His followers to go into all the world and preach the Gospel (the "good news" of a Savior Who has come to seek and save that which was lost) to all nations, to baptize in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and to teach the things which He has revealed to us in His Word. See final statements in the gospel of Matthew in the New Testament, chapter 28.

Think about it!