Where Is God?

I confess to being a bit of a 'news freak'.  Recently I heard someone say that they don't watch the news because it is so depressing.  Unfortunately not watching the news does not make the bad stuff go away, it just keeps us in happy ignorance of the true state of things on planet earth.  It leaves us feeling comfortable, and unaware of the great need there is for us to pray.

Why pray?,  you might say.  Where is God?  How can he let this stuff happen?  Why do people have to suffer, be oppressed, be enslaved, die in senseless ways?  It's just a hopeless situation, God doesn't seem to be answering anyway.

If you read the book of Psalms in the Bible you will see these same questions were being asked thousands of years ago.  However, the writers of the psalms were men of faith and they often answered their own questions.  In Psalm 115:3 the psalmist answers the question "So where is their God" with the confident response, "Our God is in heaven."  Job 34:21 says "God watches how people live, he sees everything they do."  

Yes, he is there watching and grieving, just as he did before the great flood.  He sees it all; the depths of depravity, the pain of oppression, man's inhumanity to man - all because man has ignored God's guidelines for living in this world.  We have set God aside to our own great detriment.  But it's not like we haven't been warned.  Can you imagine how the world would be if we heeded Jesus' words "Treat others the same way you want them to treat you." Mark 6:31.  

This world was given over to Satan's rulership from the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve decided to disobey God.  Sin wasn't taken care of in the flood.  Noah was found to be the most righteous man around so he and his family were entrusted with starting over but the sin streak was still alive and well.  Jesus called Satan 'the prince of this world'.  It's his handiwork we see in the chaos of our world..... and it will get worse before Jesus finally comes to rule and reign with his people....those who have chosen to believe and follow him.

When Jesus spoke of the things that would come upon this world in Luke 21 he said, "But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."  The only way to do this is to actively believe and confess faith in Jesus Christ and live in his righteousness. There is no other way.  Then you will know where God is? 

Prayer: Thank you Father God that you have not left us without hope.  Help me to be one who prays for your will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.  Amen

What Are You Hearing?

I am very thankful for my hearing and, when I take time to think about it, I am amazed at the mystery of sound and how we receive it.  Just a few little delicate bones in our ear receive and interpret sound. We certainly are wonderfully made.

Although I confess to being a lover of quiet, I cannot imagine a world without sound.  This morning, as I sit writing, the sound of a garden trimmer in the distance breaks my peace, then there's the occasional passing car, the sound of voices in the street, the doorbell, and a chirping bird. Every sound different, yet recognisable......amazing!

There are so many sounds that fill our world, some strident, some soothing.  Sound is an essential part of life but lack of attention to the right sound can also bring death.  I am thinking particularly about a death that occurred on a railway crossing last year because the person had earphones and was so caught up with his music that he didn't hear the warning sounds of the coming train.

Sound can be our friend and our foe.

In the same way that we need to listen to warning sounds, we need to be careful about the words we hear and take on board.  Words can be bring a positive sound to our ears of affirmation, love, assurance of our worth, or they can bring the negative sound of criticism, rejection and judgement. Listen to your own words and make sure they speak life and love to the people around you.  If they don't, take a look at what might be the reason for your own negativity.  Perhaps you have grown up with parents who didn't affirm you and so you feel worthless about yourself.

The good thing is that we can know the total acceptance of our loving God who wants to speak words of life, comfort, encouragement and healing into our lives.  If we become a student of the Word of God and receive His truth about ourselves, we can replace the negative sounds we have listened to and become one who also knows how to encourage and bless others with our words.

Finally, find positive people to hang out with and learn from them.  Jesus said, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.".  He also said, "For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."  Those rivers of living water will bring forth positive life giving words that are needed to counteract the tidal wave of evil and corruption that prevails in our world today.  Will you be a fountain of life-giving words to those who need to hear them?  Connect with Jesus the source of life and be a world-changer in your corner of the world.

Prayer:  Jesus, forgive me for the times I have beat myself up because of the lies I have believed about myself.  You are the life-giver.  Thank you for the love you continue to show to those who will hear your sound.  Help me to allow your life-giving words to heal me and then flow from me.  Amen

Can You Be Duped?

In today's world it has become increasingly difficult to discern between truth and lies.  This was brought into sharp focus for me by a TED talk posted on Facebook recently.  (I will post the link to it at the end of this blog.) It shows how easy it is to be fooled, (read deceived), by the technology that is now available.  This technology can generate lifelike images of real people and put words on their lips that they have never said.  The creator of this technology is so concerned about its possible misuse that he is in process of developing a platform that will discern between real and fake that he hopes will be made available to the public in the future.

This should raise huge red flags for us.  We tend to believe whatever the media puts before us with whatever slant they want to put on it.  It can depend upon which news we watch and the political leanings of that particular channel.  We are probably aware of propaganda which is used in countries such as China and North Korea to mention just two, but are we aware that we can too easily be influenced by subtle twists in our so-called 'free' countries?  'Fake news' has become a new buzz word since Donald Trump coined it.  We tend to laugh that off, but I am becoming increasingly cautious about just 'writing off' such claims as ridiculous.  The media can slant things by only telling the part of a story that fits their purposes.

If we are to be serious about knowing truth we need to dig deeper and listen to people who bring another perspective. Unfortunately some of those who desire to seek out the truth and publish it are being shut down on some platforms in the USA - YouTube and other media outlets.  Interesting!  

I am not saying that we should believe everything that is said 'behind the news' either.  But we need to hear both sides in order to make a truly informed opinion.  Sometimes we need to just hold both loosely and wait and see.  

How can we guard against being deceived?  Two thousand years ago the Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, his young protege, in 2 Timothy 3 about what would be happening in the last days and one of the things he said is  'But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.'  That infers that the deceivers will believe that they are speaking the truth.  Because they are convinced they are speaking truth people will believe them.  In 2 Timothy 3:13 Paul goes on to instruct Timothy on how to avoid being deceived......'But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.'

I believe that we are most certainly living in the last days; there are too many things converging which the Biblical prophets have spoken of for me to think otherwise.  If you want to know and understand truth you need to know the One who is the way, the truth and the life, Jesus Christ.  It was lies from seemingly righteous religious leaders that plagued his ministry and finally put him to death on a cross.  We live in far more subtly deceptive times than Timothy did.  How will you guard yourself?  If you choose to trust your own wisdom it will fail you.  Only the wisdom and truth found through in the Word of God and faith in Jesus Christ will keep you from being deceived.  It takes humility to admit the need for wisdom outside of ourself.  Are you up to it?

Prayer:  Holy and wise God, help me to seek your wisdom when faced with decisions to make,  and plant in me the desire to seek truth through relationship with Jesus Christ and through the understanding of your Word.  Amen

https://www.ted.com/talks/supasorn_suwajanakorn_fake_videos_of_real_people_and_how_to_spot_them?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare