The Daily Jot
Thursday, April 30, 2009 'Occupy till I come.'
By Bill Wilson
Greetings in the Name of Him Who Is Truth!
Many Christian Americans are distraught over the turn of current events. They do not believe that there is any use in opposing the current government because it is too out of control and too powerful. They see their Constitutionally guaranteed freedoms being diminished one by one. They see the overarching dominion of the current administration as against everything Christian-using hard earned tax money to nationalize major financial and manufacturing businesses, to fund abortion in America and abroad, to support sexual immorality-and they throw up their hands and say "we cannot do anything, let us just pray and hide in the shadow of our Lord's protection until He returns."
In the gospel of Luke Chapter 19, Jesus speaks a parable to those who believed that the kingdom of God should immediately appear. The parable was about a nobleman who went into a far away country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then to return. Jesus said in verse 13, "And he called his ten servants, and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, 'Occupy till I come.'" And after he returned, he called the servants together to see how they had managed the money. Some had done well and multiplied the money, others not so well. The servant who disobeyed, hid the money, and did not multiply it for the noblemen was punished and the money was taken away and given to the obedient servants.
Take heart Christian Americans: Jesus said "Occupy till I come." The dictionary says an occupier is one who "takes possession and control, such as a military invasion." It is not a passive charge. In order to occupy in this nation, where the Lord saw fit that the people choose its leaders and government, one must be clear on his mission. And to do that, one must know the Bible. God's word gives us all the tools and the Holy Spirit gives us the spiritual gifts to occupy. To do so, we must understand His word as it is meant, not as it is taught by deceivers who loosely translate the word of God to their advantage. Then we must know the US Constitution, which was based on the word of God. Then we must act.
By using the word of God as our understanding, the Constitution as our legal standing, and by discerning the times and the events of the nation, we must take possession and control. A government that terrorizes its people for photo opportunities; that casually says it expects deaths from pandemic disease, yet is doing virtually nothing to protect its citizens; that uses citizens' money for wicked purposes against both the Bible and the Constitution; is a government that must be brought into alignment with both. And Christian Americans, charged to occupy by their King, Lord and Savior, must engage the fight. Otherwise, When the Lord returns, we will be treated like the servant who was disobedient.
Have a Blessed and Powerful Day!
Bill Wilson
Word of Life Ministry
www.dailyjot.com
The Supreme CourtMax Lucado
It's was a nation born out of a passion for religious freedom. Free practice of faith had been oppressed and forbidden in the old country. The people longed to be in a place where they could worship God as they desired.
So they left. Willing to battle the fears of the unknown in exchange for freedom. Only a small portion of those who began the journey survived it.
When the travelers reached the new country they celebrated. They gave thanks to God and praised him for guiding them to their new home.
But their new home was not a peaceful place. Nearby enemies attacked and years of battle ensued. The settlers, however, were men and women of faith and courage. With time they sank their roots in the new land and began a new life.
The first generation of settlers were hearty people. Though the hardship were great, their faith was greater. God answered their prayers and established them in the new land.
With time the new land was divided into states, and leaders were assigned to each region. The population grew, and the boundary of the country expanded.
But with the growth of the land and the passage of the decades, two troubling trends began.
The first was the disappearance of values. Early settlers had a common conviction as to what was right and wrong. The family was the core of society. Religion was the source of faith. Education was the highest task.
But by the end of the first hundred years in the new land these virtues had begun to wane . . . the family was under attack; sophisticated thinkers mocked religion.
The second alarming trend was the inconsistency of moral leadership. Early leaders -- capable military and skillful politicians -- were also men of God. Men who listened to God and earnestly tried to follow his will.
Such leadership became rare, however. The nation we look at now lacks moral leadership. Leaders squabble and steal. Others are lazy and spoiled. There are even cases of national leaders accused of making sexual advances to women.
Though the nation has a glorious past, it is hidden in a cloudy present.
Sound familiar? Sound like any nation you know? Sound like us? It sounds like ours, could be ours, might be ours, but I didn't get the profile out of the newspaper. I read it in the Bible. In the book of Judges.
Judges chronicles the dark ages of Israel, the death of Israel. The death of the heart. A three hundred-year era in which "everyone did what seemed right" (Judges 21:25).
Not a pretty story. Not intended to be. It's intended to be a WARNING. A warning of what happens when God is ignored and passions are worshiped.
A warning for our times.
The Devotional Bible - Experiencing the Heart of Jesus; Max Lucado General Editor, New Century Version, Thomas Nelson Publishers
No comments:
Post a Comment