look up, see the promise

God said to Noah, “This is the sign of the covenant that I have established between me and all flesh that is on the earth.”

Genesis 9:17

Look up

see the promise

after the rain

God will never

flood this earth again

The vivid colors shine

forever His promise divine

Look up

see the rainbow

above the air

know God’s promise

is always there

Faithful God always true

gives His promises to you

Look up

see His promise

on empty cross

sin atoned

death has lost

The empty cross and grave

show His promise to keep and save

Look up

the Son is coming

again one day

in the clouds

His people to claim

Powerful Savior will reign

keeping God’s promise, abolishing pain

Real prayer: “I cried aloud”

I cried aloud to the LORD,

and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah

Psalm 3:4

This is David’s honest expression of soul written in an outlandish circumstance we struggle to fully understand. The title to Psalm 3 gives us the history of its writing: “A psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom, his son.” So this was a very personal pain David had at the time of its writing. He is in retreat (something David was not known to do), fleeing for his life from a palace and capital city now overrun by hostiles, as his kingdom fell in civil war, and to top it all off, the enemy seeking David’s finish is his own son, Absalom. The situation is deeply personal and deeply painful. Intense is not strong enough a word to describe it.

And in the deeply personal pain David literally shouts out, screams out, to the Lord. A pursuing army has turned against him. The nation that had once sang of David’s bravery everywhere he went has rebelled to chase him down. Their “prayers” are for David’s destruction: “There is no salvation for him in God” (Psalm 3:2).

Yet in all this unimaginable crisis, running into and away from chaos, David trusts God and cries out. He knew God was a shield, God was his worship, God would lift his head (Psalm 3:3). And confident despite the chaos, David is unafraid to turn the raw, fearful emotion directly over to God in a loud, primal prayer. He cried aloud. He didn’t stuff it in, offer silent “unspoken” requests, and smugly try to look like he had his religion altogether. He let loose his fear, clung to what faith was left, and turned it all into a weeping, trusting, screaming, desperate prayer, unafraid of who else might hear or see his cries to His Savior. When life has us completely reduced to fearful dependence, God can be seen at work in the greatest display of His power. Why not cry aloud? It won’t make anything worse!

And the psalm immediately provides the personal benefit of honest expression to God: 1) David slept, resting in a sustaining God (Psalm 3:5). Physical sleep can be a rare and nurturing gift in emotional turmoil. 2) David realistically trusted in God rather than give in to his fears (Psalm 3:6). And that conscious choice is VERY hard to do in traumatic circumstances. All this shows us prayer as it truly exists in real life. And God hears and answers it. May it build our confidence to pray just as passionately - chaos or not!

5 effects of sin

He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

Genesis 3:11

So right here is where the world began to fall apart. When we see discouraging events, natural disasters, wars, and human tragedies of the worst kind, they all had their start here where Adam and Eve chose to disbelieve God’s goodness and trust in a Satanic lie. Their choice degenerated this world to a place where five effects of sin constantly live within us and among us.

1. FEAR. God originally created us to live intimately with our Creator, without a care, walking with Him. But after sin entered the world, humanity lives in fear of a holy God whom our sin offends. The mental trauma of every sin is some kind of fear: fear of being found out, fear of punishment, fear of never measuring up, fear of loss, or fear of never being forgiven. And this fear often drives us right into a vicious cycle of deeper sin, deeper fear, and a dark circle of loss.

2. VULNERABILITY. Created naked and unashamed was God’s original design for humanity. Yet one of the very first negative effects of sin was an awareness and fear of differences. It started first between Adam and Eve, and also impacted their thoughts of God. Adam and Eve could not deal with intimacy with one another and especially with their Creator. Sin left them feeling exposed.

3. SHAME. When God sought them, Adam and Eve ran to hide from Him. They made miserable fig leaf loincloths. They could not mentally resolve the moral dilemma of their sin or cover the enormity of their wrong. Sin beat them up with shame.

4. BLAMING GOD. Adam tried to blame God for his sinful choice. “The woman YOU gave me” (Genesis 3:12) was to blame for his sin. God didn’t tempt either of them, but not taking personal responsibility for sin is one thing that always makes sin worse. And man has instinctively tried, from the very beginning, to evade this by dodging the “problem of evil” and blaming God.

5. BLAMING OTHERS. Eve tried to make it the serpent’s fault. Yet the text tells us how she carefully evaluated the forbidden fruit, weighed her options, and chose to believe a glittering lie to be like God. Adam didn’t even seem to process it more than a second! Both tried to blame someone else.

Honestly, all five of these effects saunter into my soul more frequently than they should. Oh to be quick to repent, turn to my Savior, be forgiven, and live no longer bound by the effects of my sin! Thank God there is full atonement, a new holiness in Christ, and a future clearly free from all this graciously offered in Jesus Christ!

A King on High

“As for me, I have set my King

on Zion, my holy hill.”

Psalm 2:6

Nations rage

but it’s OK

There is one King

to Whom I cling

Let the world shake

and my heart quake

I look to my Savior

secure in His favor

The Father set the Son

as His Exalted One

on His mountain holy

empowering Him solely

Jesus shall reign

above all this pain

no power can stand

against the might of His hand

I look to my King

overruling everything

uncertainty will not win

all is controlled by Him

To Jesus I fly

even though I die

He will keep me forever

alive in my Savior

Nations can rage

in this crazy age

yet secure in His throne

Jesus saves us alone

serious evangelistic investment

When they had appointed a day for him, they came to him at his lodging in greater numbers. From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the Law of Moses and from the Prophets. And some were convinced by what he said, but others disbelieved.

Acts 28:23-24

And as the book of Acts ends, Paul, faithful to his passion and call to preach Jesus everywhere is doing his best to convince Jews in Rome to believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior. In an evangelistic, doctrinal, apologetic tour de force Paul spends days sharing Christ from the Old Testament, answering questions, and challenging objections so that his fellow countrymen might come to Jesus. He is simply following the pattern of ministry, even as a prisoner in Rome, that began with the first missionary efforts he pioneered so many years earlier. He seeks out the Jews first.

Could you imagine spending an entire day, for several days straight, reasoning out the gospel with someone? That’s not elevator speech evangelism by any means. And that reality described here reminds me of the commitment that Christians should have to seriously talk through the gospel with those who will hear it.

The call to advance Christ’s kingdom takes work. We aren’t telemarketers. Don’t count on a gospel tract to carry the weight of eternity to someone on its own. We must open our lives to those who need to know Jesus. We must have conversations that are engaging. We must be prepared to answer questions and show Jesus from the scriptures as well as our lives.

And in the end some will believe and some will not. We are called to invest in the effort even with mixed results. Sharing Jesus is a privilege and natural outflow of following Jesus.

clinging to this hope

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

Revelation 21:5

How I so need to see Jesus in this way today! How I need to believe this truth right now! There are several reasons why. The societal mood right now is gloomy. We are in the second year of a disease pandemic that has upturned cultural expectations, divided and splintered society, and unleashed unprecedented changes. So much division exists at almost every level. Sadly, even in the church. And in the chaos it all feels frankly quite out of control. Oh, but there is One Who sits on the Throne! And Jesus is King. There is no chaos in His rule.

Personally, I’ve never been more tired than I am right now. Ministry EVERY DAY involves conversations with other frazzled, hurt, sometimes very angry people. This wears on a person emotionally, spiritually, and for me, even physically right now. I pretty consistently have some near sleepless nights since March of 2020. Oh how I need Him Who sits on the Throne to comfort me in the assurance that Jesus has got all of this!

Lord Jesus,

Your words are trustworthy and true, and in them I seek my strength. PLEASE empower me by Your grace to be emotionally, spiritually, even physically stronger than I am right now. It feels like all my life is slowing to an exhausted crawl. How I need You to make all things new! And in a time where all seems to be chaotic, calm my storm, O Lord.

“Swift to its close ebbs out life’s little day

Earth’s joys grow dim, its glories pass away

Change and decay in all around I see

O Thou Who changes not, abide with me.”

Amen

the longer we love

I am my beloved's,

and his desire is for me.

Song of Solomon 7:10

Marital monogamy is celebrated in the emotion captured by the bride of Solomon in this poetic phrase. Monogamy is often wrongly thought of as monotony. That is totally wrong. Now, unfortunately, for the bride in Song of Solomon, her longings would not fit reality. Solomon was, we know, a sexually binging glutton… a modern day “sex addict”. And the Shulammite bride was just one among a thousand wives and concubines in his harem. But I believe the Song of Solomon shows us that to Solomon she was perhaps THE ONE among that crowd that captivated his heart. Certainly there is no mention of the kings’s polygamy anywhere in this love song. This places the focus squarely on how love, attraction, romance, and sex all draw a couple into intimate closeness as a gift from God.

For instruction then, this concept of the exclusivity shared between a husband and wife is captured in the Shulammite’s expression of commitment. She is her beloved’s and he desires her. And that principle is amplified, enforced, and joyfully celebrated in every solid, monogamous marriage. Long term Christian marriage celebrates this and knows it as fact. I can testify to this. So do you want a really great intimate romance? Stay married for 35 years! The desire only grows as you cannot imagine life without one another. Commitment through the good and the bad of life, through your agreements and your struggles, over sickness and in health, during times of ease and seasons of uncertainty, all of these life building moments draw two lives into the deepest of commitment and desire to be simply, and always, together.

Lord,

Thank You that in my life you are making two people one in You. And that desire only grows stronger. May my wife always confidently celebrate: “I am my beloved’s and his desire is for me.” May I always have a heart craving her companionship, closeness, and strength right beside me. And each day that we have can truly know this life You have given. May we rejoice enthusiastically in worship of You, celebrating each other physically, emotionally, and spiritually, thrilling each other with the joys You have given us to know together as You have woven our lives in a tapestry of Your design!

Amen

expressive praise

Let them praise his name with dancing,

making melody to him with tambourine and lyre!

Psalm 149:3

It’s perfectly biblical to be expressive in worship. The last two psalms give us every right to ignore inhibitions and turn loose with honest, heartfelt, expressive praise. The songs rise in a loud crescendo. The walls shake with praise and the bass rumbles under our feet! Here are some expressions of praise:

1) Dancing (yes the D-word, frowned upon by legalists and embraced by the free). Psalm149:3; 150:3 - It’s OK to move.

2) Shake that tambourine, baby! Psalm 149:3; 150:3

3) Strum that lyre (ie guitar). Psalm 149:3

4) Sing from your throat (that means loud, like a warrior’s battle cry!) Psalm 149:6

5) Blow a trumpet. Psalm 150:3

6) Add more stringed instruments (lyre and harp). Throw an electric guitar and bass in that band! Psalm 150:3

7) Recruit an entire strings section and get symphonic. Psalm 150:4

8) Let the flutes and pipes chime in. Psalm 150:4

9) Work out on some percussion, banging those crashing cymbals. I got a fever for more cowbell! 150:5

God seems to really like it when His people get some serious groove going in praise — He likes it loud and expressive. He is worth making some joyful noise! Even people like me, who tend toward public introversion, shouldn’t be afraid to stand up, clap hands, move feet, and sing out for the glory of our great Savior!

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

Psalm 150:6

sovereign plot twist

So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the wrath of the king abated.

Esther 7:10

Hate will turn against the hater. The sovereign hand of God assures us that no evil hatred will go unpunished for long. And for those consumed with hating other people who are created in the image of God, that hatred itself will become their undoing. This is what happened to Haman, hater of the Jews in Persia, plotter of evil against God’s people, and obsessed with hating a race because he intensely hated one man and wanted to kill Mordecai. His hatred of one man led him to plot against an entire race. And that plot severely failed by God’s providential and ironic overturning of events.

God had an eternal covenant with the Jews. Israel cannot be decimated. And no empire can stop this truth. Many have tried. It did not happen in Persia, though Israel’s doom appeared certain. God set up queen Esther to intercede and save her people. And throughout history, no evil empire has succeeded in eradicating the Jewish faith, though several have tried to over the millennia. Some want to do it even today. Yet God’s purpose for them persists.

I believe God still keeps covenant with Israel. The modern state of Israel, so improbably persistent, resilient, and strong is a powerful witness to God’s sovereign purpose… an apologetic for the legitimacy of the Old Testament! From Israel, God made possible the salvation of all people by Jesus — King of the Jews and Savior of the world. And over Israel Jesus is the legitimate Messiah and King. One day, perhaps soon, Jesus will return to fulfill all the promises God has made to set this world right, end hate on this globe, and bring about a perfect future in a new heavens and new earth. When that happens it will be an even more jaw-dropping, mind-blowing, over-the-top plot twist then when the fate of the Jews changed in one day in Persia thousands of years ago.

Looking now at a world so fractured with bitter conflict, hate, personal polarization, and evil, I see a sovereign God still orchestrating His purposes amid the human chaos. The gospel is still good news and is still being proclaimed. God’s people are safely held eternally by His great power, and God has already revealed in His Word how Jesus will turn the story forever to a just and happy ending.

Happy

Happy are you, O Israel! Who is like you,

a people saved by the LORD,

the shield of your help,

and the sword of your triumph!

Your enemies shall come fawning to you,

and you shall tread upon their backs.

Deuteronomy 33:29

This blessing to Israel reminds us today of what it means to be a people saved, secured, and sent on mission by God Himself. It is a happy experience to be a people who are saved by the Lord. And we ought to look, feel, and talk about that happiness! Because of Who God is and what God does for His saved people, happiness marks our lives. There are three reasons we are happy from this verse.

First, we are happy as God’s saved people because God protects us. He is “the shield of help” for His people. Why should we worry? Why live in fear? God is protecting and will always protect those He has saved. They are totally surrounded by His shield. Nothing gets through in a surprise attack on God’s protection. We can happily rest under the shield of God’s help.

Secondly, we are happy because God fights for us. He is the “sword of triumph”. He brings victory over sin, over the world, and over those who oppose Him and His truth. We don’t fight our own battles. We shouldn’t even think to try! God is the victory-bringer. And that keeps us humbly happy in Him.

And the third reason we are happy is because God defeats His foes. Again, it is not up to us to defend God. He is completely capable and all powerful over His, and our, enemies. And as His saved people, those who would oppose us are in actuality opposing God. They shall not ultimately succeed. In fact, in the end, all those opposed to God will one day bow the knee before His throne at their judgment by Him. God never loses, so rejoice Christian in the God Who protects us, fights for us, and defeats all His foes!

the reason some mock

But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, “In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions.”

Jude 17-18

The reason some scoff

is that they want what they want

last day apostasy

a product of selfish impurity

When some mock our Lord

we have been told in His Word

to expect their fall

and trust Jesus with it all

Driven by godless passion

mocking Jesus may be in fashion

embraced by the elite

but they are headed for defeat

Disciples keep believing

despite mockery we are receiving

we obey our faithful Master

as scoffers mock their own disaster

Our hearts break for these defectors

we pray they’ll repent from being rejectors

and come back to their Lord

and submit to His Word

Jesus wins by His grace

as we wait to see His face

having mercy on those who doubt

knowing God will work this all out

gospel conversation

“King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you believe.” And Agrippa said to Paul, “In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?” And Paul said, “Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.”

Acts 26:27-29

Paul turns his defense before Herod Agrippa into a definite gospel conversation. Festus, the newly appointed Roman governor of Judea was given the strange case of Paul after succeeding Felix. And being pretty unfamiliar with Jewish religious issues, brought in Herod Agrippa, the Jewish figurehead ruler controlled by Rome, to advise him on just how to properly write up the charges against Paul so he could send the case carefully on to Rome for Caesar to decide.

Paul shares his testimony of conversion… of coming from a sincere and zealous Jewish upbringing, to being a leader of the Pharisees. All that was easy for Agrippa to understand. Paul goes on to share his personal encounter with Jesus that put him solidly in Christian belief, turning him from a hater of Christians into a preacher of the gospel. A resurrected Jesus saved Paul, and called him to preach the gospel everywhere — particularly among the Gentiles. And Paul immediately obeyed Jesus, convinced of the Old Testament prophesies of resurrection, by encountering a resurrected Messiah, and preaching that the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ are the center of God’s new atoning for the sins of the world. This was a message Paul was convinced was worth living, and perhaps dying for.

Paul is not afraid to press that compelling truth into a straightforward, strategic question to Agrippa, even as Herod is the one deciding his fate. The gospel is worth believing, and Paul knew that Agrippa was well-versed in scripture. So this conversation moved from leaders questioning Paul to Paul questioning them! Agrippa’s smug response was no escape either. Paul kept pressing in, concluding that no matter how long someone takes to process the gospel, his hope was that people would believe as solidly in Jesus as Paul himself did! And that is a gospel courage that Christians should seek to practice as we share Jesus with our neighbors and the nations.

hot mess

They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give him glory.

Revelation 16:9

Humanity, bent on sinful autonomy and hatred of God, will never accept that God will use His sovereign control over the natural world to judge us. Time and again in the “bowl” judgments of the book of Revelation, God brings natural disaster to the earth. First there was a universal skin disease causing boils and excruciating pain. Then the seas turned to blood and all marine life is made extinct. Then the same thing happens in fresh water. This is followed by an atmospheric solar discharge that scorches the whole planet. Survivors among the fires just keep cursing God. They will not even entertain that He has power to unleash these disasters. Humanity is naturally resistant to humble repentance.

I’m no prophet of doom, but I do know that I am living in increasingly more difficult days. After nearly six decades on this earth, our world is a different place than it was in my youth. I do not doubt that. Society has been on a downhill run against God’s rule for several generations now. And I am not at all surprised that our smug confidence in “human achievement” has only worsened the world. At this point humans are poisoning the planet, killing each other with malice in record numbers, suffering a disease pandemic on a worldwide scale that shows no sign of ending, and coping with regular ecological challenges and disasters. It’s a sin-ravaged world out there, and we are to blame! I am certain we aren’t even in book of Revelation territory yet! But it sure feels close to getting there.

So I am not shocked it is as bad as it is. This is what I expect when humans defy their Creator. I will commit to doubling down on the comfort and call of the gospel to repent, believe, and live in Jesus with a firm future hope that is much better than the hot mess that our world is right now!

worship prayer

Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;

his understanding is beyond measure.

Psalm 147:5

O Lord,

You are indeed great. You are so far above me that when I pause to contemplate Your power and wisdom, I am immediately, staggeringly humbled. I live in a universe that You created that in itself is so vast, that uncountable years would be needed for light to travel across its breadth. And you simply spoke all that vast universe into being! All of that is just ONE of Your thoughts! The word “great” may be forever an understatement of just how immensely different You are from Your creation. Still, I know that You are certainly my great God!

You are a God abundant in power. You can do anything, all things, really everything You desire. I live in a world that has its share of powerless and what feels like rolling global crisis after crisis… raging wars, ethnic strife, burning forests, threatened climate, fierce disease pandemics, and most tragically — souls that You created for eternity with You in Christ are dying daily — many having never heard the good news about Jesus. Your power is what keeps the people of planet earth from complete annihilation so that Your people can make gospel proclamation so that in grace You will lead people to find Your salvation. And that is the ultimate display of Your power — people becoming a New Creation, living in a better kingdom, focused on a bright future, in Jesus!

I cannot fathom what You know. A worm, as a blind creature of mere instinct, cannot comprehend the thoughts of a neuroscientist. So I cannot begin to understand Your mind. But I CAN know Your most important revealed thoughts for me as I read Your Word, talk with You in prayer, trust the movement of Your Spirit in my life, and walk with You as You lead this life! And an intimacy with the Almighty kindles my heart into a flame of worship as I realize all of this. Great are You, Lord! Abundant is Your power to lead, comfort, and change my life. Your wisdom is more than I can ever measure. Forever I will be captivated by Your greatness and wonder, O Lord!

Amen

Trust God in the unknown.

And in every province, wherever the king's command and his decree reached, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting and weeping and lamenting, and many of them lay in sackcloth and ashes.

Esther 4:3

When it seems darkest, it really isn’t because God is in control! In a world where human wickedness runs freely, there will be times of extreme peril. It can get dark. This is exactly what happened as Haman’s plot to eradicate the Jews in Persia was made public. Official government policy was set by the king himself to see the end of the Jewish minority in Persia. It looked impossibly final. But God’s people brought their fear and pain to God. And God had already, well in advance of all this, strategically and sovereignly taken steps to ensure a deliverer was in place.

The reminder of this truth puts perspective on all uncertainty. Nothing is ever uncertain with God. Nothing surprises Him. No action of any human institution will overrule the complete, sovereign purposes of Almighty God! Haman may have hatched a conspiracy of hate. But God already had a secret victory in place to destroy what seemed inevitable.

And so we trust God in all that is unknown to us. Just as Esther was already placed to be the bold deliverer of the Jews in Persia at an awful moment, so Jesus is already here to keep His kingdom advancing despite cultural moves against God’s people. We may grieve over our painful experiences and mourn what looks like loss to us, but we can trust that absolutely nothing will prevail against our King!

always with us

It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

Deuteronomy 31:8

There are three ways God cares for His own that protect those who trust in Him. First, the LORD goes before us. In the case of Israel on the cusp of the Promised Land, they faced the challenge of military conquest. A nation of nomads was commanded to become an army of obedient soldiers. And God went before them, preparing the way in advance for them through Canaan to claim their promised inheritance. Nothing they would face would be new to the God Who went before them.

God promised to be with them. In the moment, God was there. In the battle, God was there. In the victory, God was there. In the difficulty, the call to courage, and in the hard work, God was right there with them. He is always present with His people, a constant source of courage, strength, and power as they believed in Him.

God would not forsake or leave His faithful people. They might be fearful or tempted to retreat. God would not do so. He would be faithful. And we know that He is faithful even when our faith ebbs and flows. His great faithfulness becomes an anchor when our own capacity for staying true to Him wants to falter.

Jesus goes before us. He is preparing a place for us even now. Jesus is Emmanuel: God with us. He promised to be with us always as we faithfully proclaim Him even to the very end of this age. Jesus will not forsake us. He has promised to not leave us as orphans.

And the God Who goes before us, who is with us, who never leaves us, is our strength. We take courage when tempted to be afraid. We strengthen our hearts in faith in the God Who is and always will be with us.

Mission: hospitality

Beloved, it is a faithful thing you do in all your efforts for these brothers, strangers as they are, who testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God.

3 John 5-6

The kingdom of Christ

spans the continents

the gospel goes

to each people group sent

We cooperate

with the call of God

to perpetuate

this kingdom of God

Our vision is

to preach it global

it is the highest task

for the most humble

We must receive

those God has sent 

invest in their call

as time and money well spent

Welcome kingdom builders

with open hearts

every church of believers must

do their part

No strangers

in Jesus are known

hospitality to family

is readily shown

The gospel advances

in community and grace

because Jesus loves

the whole human race

Receive them like Jesus

when they come our way

send them refreshed, equipped

worthy of God today!

Don’t be tempted by shortcuts.

Then he gave orders to the centurion that he should be kept in custody but have some liberty, and that none of his friends should be prevented from attending to his needs.

Acts 24:23

As persecutions go, Paul was in an amazing opportunity. Taken to Caesarea for Roman judgment at the court of Felix the governor, Paul was protected from his enemies who had sworn together to kill him, regardless of Rome’s decision in his case.

Paul now had direct contact and personal ministry to the governor of Judea who detained the apostle for two years. Felix regularly listened to Paul’s teaching, secretly holding out for a bribe in order to release him with a “not guilty” verdict. But Paul stayed true to the gospel and to his personal integrity. He stayed faithful to the Lord, trusted for deliverance, and patiently kept preaching the gospel to Felix even though it kept him detained.

The gospel must be preached with integrity. It isn’t for the gain of the preacher! Paying the bribe would have been an easy way to make the “problem” go away. But Paul modeled faithfulness, and God kept him safe. Plus God had prepared a bigger audience yet to come. Eventually Rome would be the city of destination and Caesar himself would hear from Paul. Integrity took Paul further, with more influence, than cheating shortcuts ever would!

after it burns

The nations raged,

but your wrath came,

and the time for the dead to be judged,

and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints,

and those who fear your name,

both small and great,

and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.

Revelation 11:18

Wicked humanity will be called into account for all the evil done by the people of the earth to one another. They will be destroyed for being destroyers of the earth. The whole planet is headed for a fiery finale - a meltdown fueled by hatred against God that will end in the cosmic justice of the wrath of God. But the people of God will be spared.

Millennia of faithfulness will ensure that Christ’s servants, prophets, and saints as well as all those who fear His name regardless of station or fame will be rewarded — spared from God’s hand of destruction while witness to this future day of wrath.

It doesn’t surprise me to see evil people thrive in evil times. It no longer surprises me to see so much confusion caused by sin… such evil confusion that a worldwide pandemic just ratchets up chaos and does not bring humans together. People distrust each other, their own institutions, their own science, and all human attempts at achievement have actually created these conditions. All our wisdom cannot save us— it is seen as the meager help it has always been. And as the world turns and burns, through the smoke and tears, Christians look solidly to our Savior! Destroyers may be destroying this world, but there is a Lord Who saves us, as we faithfully serve Him now. And He will, through His justice, bring an end to all this evil.

In a new heavens and a new earth we will know the home of all righteousness. Our future perspective will be much different. The nations once raged, but His wrath came. His judgment was final. His saints were rewarded. The destroyers were destroyed. And all will be made right again in the blessed hope and power of Jesus!