What If God Canceled Us?
IF GOD CHAMPIONED CANCEL CULTURE…
- The Samaritan woman stayed washed up.
- The Prodigal Son is stuck in the pig pen.
- Zaccheus is still up a tree.
- Peter is still casting nets, not using His keys and feeding His sheep.
- James and John, the sons of thunder, are all wet.
- Saul of Tarsus kept holding coats and chasing down Christians.
- Thomas drowned in his doubt.
- The thief on the cross is hung out to dry.
- John Mark might as well have stayed AWOL.
- Hebrews 11, what with Noah (the drunk), Abraham (the liar), Moses (the murderer), Rahab (the harlot), etc., is never written.
- At least five of the seven churches of Asia are in the dark.
- All humanity is hopeless (Rom. 3:23).
- He is neither faithful nor just (1 John 1:9).
- He never would have died on the cross (1 Tim. 2:6).
That is not to say that God “winks” at ignorance (Acts 17:30), indulges willful sin (Rom. 6:1-2; Heb. 10:26ff), or encourages walking in darkness (1 John 1:6ff). But, God is the God of the second (third, fourth, etc.) chance. He is perfectly patient (2 Pet. 3:9) and fully forgiving (Heb. 7:25).
Our world needs the message of redemption now more than ever!
The Prize of His Peace
FOX NEWS provides the following report:
Zimbabwe's controversial president Robert Mugabe was awarded China's alternative to the Nobel Peace Prize Thursday for what the prize committee called his inspired national leadership and service to pan-Africanism.
The 91-year-old Mugabe is the latest in a series of critics of the West who have received the Confucius Peace Prize.
Under his rule, the government pushed a plan to acquire large parcels of land, many from white owners, to give to black farmers. When owners challenged the move in 2002, Mugabe reportedly called them "greedy, greedy colonials."
After fighting in a guerrilla war in the 1970s, Mugabe was elected president in 1980. He has been in power for 35 years with no clear successor.
Critics say he cracked down on opposition groups, sending many of their leaders to jail.
The prize committee defended its decision, saying Mugabe has "overcome difficulties of all kinds and has strongly committed himself to constructing his nation's political and economic order, while strongly supporting pan-Africanism and African independence."
The Confucius Peace Prize was first awarded in 2010, an angry response from Beijing over the granting of the Nobel Peace Prize to imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo. Other recipients include former Cuban leader Fidel Castro and Russian President Vladimir Putin. None has traveled to claim the prize in person.
Despite the fall of the Berlin Wall, the world continues to be divided along ideological lines. Nowhere is this more evident than in the way we award peace prizes. Clearly, the Confucius Peace Prize represents one ideology's response to another. While such awards are supposed to promote peace, isn’t this really just another form of war, albeit ideological?
Thankfully, God offers us something better than the world's version of a “peace prize.” He offers us "the prize of His peace." It’s a prize offered to everyone—no committees, no nominations, or politics involved. And rather than furthering the divide, it results in complete and eternal reconciliation between God and man, forming the basis of all other peace.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid“ (John 14:27).
GOD CAN FIX THIS!
Just weeks after the terrorist "soft target" attacks in Paris, our nation was rocked this week (12/2/15) when our own "soft target" -- a social services office in San Bernardino, CA -- was attacked, leaving 14 dead and more than 20 wounded.
Under a front page banner that read, "GOD ISN'T FIXING THIS," The New York Daily News wrote:
Prayers aren’t working.
White House hopefuls on the Democratic side of the aisle called for stricter gun laws in the wake of the shooting in San Bernardino that left at least 14 dead.
But after yet another mass shooting in America, GOP presidential contenders were conspicuously silent on the issue of gun control.
Instead, the Republicans were preaching about prayer.
What the New York Daily News called "preaching about prayer" was actually just the candidates tweeting expressions of support to the victims of the San Bernardino massacre, like the following tweet by Sen. Ted Cruz:
Our prayers are with the victims, their families, and the first responders in San Bernardino who willingly go into harm’s way to save others.
Democrats were quick to criticize the GOP presidential candidates for offering their prayers instead of promising action. In response to Sen. Cruz' tweet, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn) tweeted:
Your ‘thoughts’ should be about steps to take to stop this carnage, your ‘prayers’ should be for forgiveness if you do nothing — again.
Murphy’s tweet was retweeted 7,600 times in less than six hours.
The tone of this article reminds me of the old Three Stooges routine where Moe strikes Curly and Larry with one slap, only in this case the Daily News manages to slap all of the Republican candidates for president and God! Moe's got nothing on these guys!!
Regardless of which side of the aisle you stand, how sad it is that it has become impossible to say anything without it becoming twisted and turned on you. Isn't it just common courtesy to offer to pray for those who suffer? Can't we at least do that anymore?
Before political and legislative solutions can be found to address our national woes, we must first learn how to talk to one another again. The greatest threat we face isn't terrorism or global warming, it's hate, mistrust and internal strife. Not everyone wants to hear this, but this is a spiritual problem.
We should pray for the Daily News and for all those who undermine the civility of our national discourse with politically motivated, mean spirited banter, because the truth is GOD CAN FIX THIS!
"For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13).
"I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness" (1 Timothy 2:1-2).