What shall it profit?

Mark 8:36

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

As I look around on all that is happening in our world it is obvious to me that democracy has failed? What do I mean? Well let's look at the facts. We live under the rule of  a government where the two main political parties can not agree on anything. We have politicians from both sides who have been accused and sometimes convicted of scandals that have rocked the world. Our country is in a mess and no one can agree on how to fix it. It is obvious to met that democracy (or a republic) has failed.

We can look at other forms of government that have failed. The Roman empire eventually failed as did the Greek and Persian empires before it. The socialist idea of a communal government  has always failed as was proven when the U.S.S.R. fell apart. There was a time when most of the countries of Europe were ruled by Kings and Queens and these too failed. Why? The reason is simple. Without God, man's idea of equality and fairness will always fail.

We can go all the way back to the Biblical world for more examples. Israel decided they wanted a king but when they got Saul he was a wicked man and they were soon disappointed. Even the beloved King David fell into sin and betrayed his own friends and fellow countrymen as a whole. Almost every King after David was increasingly more wicked than the ones before him. The idea of a kingdom failed.

But why did they want a king in the first place? Simple. For many years they had been ruled by judges who were supposedly set in place by God. They were tired of judges who claimed to speak for God but served only themselves. They had no voice to oppose what the judge deemed was right or wrong. They somehow thought a king would be better than this. After all, how could anything be worse? But we know that it was indeed worse.

After all these failed forms of government it seemed that the next step would be a government where the people could speak for themselves. But, as we have seen, this too has failed. Failed in its attempts regenerate mankind and make him a better person. Failed in its desire to rid society of crime, racism, and a myriad of other evils. Failed.

With all this failure, is there any hope? The Bible tells us that a man will arise that will claim to have all the answers. He will be the one who knows how to settle the fighting in the middle east. He will know how to bridge the gap between rich and poor, religious and non-religious, people of different religions and so forth. He will seem to have all the answers. Yet we know that the man I speak of is what the Bible calls the anti-Christ. Ultimately, he will turn against the people of God and even fight against God himself. Yet his government too shall fail.

The only true hope for anyone in this world is Jesus Christ. The only safe haven is the church. The church that will taken out of this world when Jesus Christ comes to claim his own. We can build kingdoms and castles here in this life but they will eventually crumble and fall. The only way to be sure of anything is to make sure our hearts and lives are right with God. For what will it profit us if we gain the whole world but lose our own souls?

Trusting in Jesus,

Sullivan Jones

The Battle for America

Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betsie watched in stunned silence as her mild mannered father reacted so angrily to the Prime Minister's announcement that there would be no war. He jumped up and snapped the radio off and just as quickly the fire went out of his eyes. But it was his words that stunned them the most: "It is wrong to give people hope when there is no hope. There will be a war. Holland will fight and Holland will fall. I feel sorry for all Dutchmen who do not know the power of God." Just a few hours later Holland was plunged into WWII and in only five days fell to German hands.

On the fifth day they were walking down the street when a window opened and a lady announced that Holland had surrendered. With tears in his eyes a young man looked at Father ten Boom and announced, "I would not have surrendered. I would have fought." "That is good, my son", He replied, "For Holland's battle has just begun."This afternoon these words came to me as I waited for my wife to complete her errands in the store. It was if I could hear God whispering into my spirit, "America's battle has just begun." 

I would read The Hiding Place and wonder if ever I would have adventures such as these. I realize now that as a child I didn't truly comprehend the horror of what those involved endured. Yet there was one thing I did understand: God saw them through. I am not a doom and gloom prophet but I know what the scripture says. Not only the battle for America but the battle for our world has just begun. Even if our economy takes an upturn tomorrow and government works out its problems we are still in trouble. The spirit of anti-Christ has risen in our world in a way that we have not seen in a long time. Scriptural prophecy is being fulfilled before our eyes every day and by and large people are unaware of it. God's people do not realize how close the coming of the Lord is.

Yet these things do not make me fearful for in the midst of all these troubles God's church is destined to have  great revival. And even more than that we must remember the words of Jesus: "When these things begin to come to pass, lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh." I would like to echo the words of Casper ten Boom. I feel sorry for every American today who does not know God. But I have nothing but joy in my heart for those who do. This world is about to see the wrath of the anti-Christ and the judgment of God such as it has never seen. And yet our world is about to see God exalt his church. Then one day soon his church will be caught out of this troubled world to forever be with the Lord.

 If I knew I were not right with God today, I would not delay. I would get my heart right with Him. For it is in Him and Him alone that our hope lies. Only in Him can we truly have security for the future! His retirement plan is out of this world!

Not on my watch!

I Thessalonians 2:7 - For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.

Did you know that the church has the power to change things in our world? That's right we have the power to hold back things and allow things to be as long as it is according to the will of God. I know that there are many things prophesied  in the scripture that will come to pass. But the scripture is very vague about when some of the things will happen. I believe the reason that it is so is because some things are not set in stone. Although God has established a day of reckoning and judgment for the world things do not have to be as bad as they could have been if the church had not prayed.

Unconvinced? Let's look at some examples from the Old Testament. In I Kings chapter 21 we are told that God was about to judge Israel. When the prophet went to warn Ahab, he jumbled himself. The exact words of scripture are that "he walked softly before God." God sent the prophet to Ahab again to tell him that these things would not happen in his days but in the days of his son. Hezekiah was another king of Israel with a death penalty on him. He prayed and cried out to God and God gave him 15 more years to live.

As I contemplated these things this morning I had  this thought: NOT ON MY WATCH. What do I mean? It's like this. God has put me in 2013 with a purpose. Just as Peter was responsible to his generation and Paul to his so we are responsible to ours. It is the job of the church to pray for our nation. We are the only good in this world and we are the reason that judgment is being held back. With that said, we should be interceding for our nation now like never before. We know that things look bad but they don't have to be as bad as they could be.

When God's judgment came on Egypt the land of Goshen was spared. Not only was Goshen spared but the people of Israel prospered. Several years ago I heard a man of God say this: "I refuse to participate in the downward economy." God sent manna from heaven and fed his people and he could do it again if need be. He will take care of us. But more than him taking care of me, I want him to take care of my loved ones, friends, neighbours, and my nation.

The greatest need of our nation now is for the church to pray. Pray for God to have mercy on us. Pray for God to spare us of any intended evil. Remember Moses when he stood between God and the people? God spared Israel because of Moses. No doubt this country that we love has set itself against God in a multitude of ways. But there is still a church in the earth that can stand between God and the ones that we love. I believe God wants us to intercede. Who knows but that God will have mercy, not only on me and mine, but one my government as well.

The Apostle Paul told us to pray for "all that are in authority". Why? so that we could live a quiet and peaceable life. All of us want peace. Our world is in desperate need of peace. We as Christian are filled with the Spirit of Peace. Jesus is our Prince of Peace. So I believe we need to cry out to our Lord and ask him to intervene with peace.

Would you join me today? Let's cry out to God for our nation. Ask Him to give our government officials peace between themselves and wisdom to decide what is right. Ask him to give the church favor in the sight of the government that it make no laws that would restrict our ability to worship freely. Ask Him to have mercy on us. If the government is going to fall in and our economy is going to crash it doesn't have to happen today. It doesn't have to happen on my watch. If we pray, who knows what God may do!

I don't wish evil on any future generation. But I am not responsible for the future any more than I am the past. I am responsible for today. And right now I see trouble in my land. So I cry out to my brothers and sisters, would you help me pray? It's not too late. It's never too late for God to work. Ask Him to work for us today and see what He will do, not only for us but for our country as well.

Prayerfully,

Sullivan Jones