THE WORST OF ALL TRAGEDIES

 

A tragedy is defined by Webster's Concise Dictionary as a serious drama with an unhappy ending or a sad event. Some tragedies happen by accident, but some are foreseeable and avoidable and should be prevented at all costs.

One such tragedy is eternal separation from God. You might wonder what it means to be separated from God and why it is a tragedy. Understand that God is holy and, therefore, cannot coexist with sinners, but we are sinners, so sin has separated us from Him right there. And it is a tragedy because not having a relationship with God on a personal level in this life is a significant loss. Still, the Bible also teaches that not being in a personal relationship with God sends a person to hell after death, a tragedy that does not need to happen. Hell is not desirable; it is a place of never-ending torment.

But really, why does one need to have a relationship with God; what good would that do? God created humans for a loving, ongoing relationship, but that relationship was broken by sin: disobedience. So our sin is what caused the separation between God and us. We know from the Bible that sin must be forgiven or punished. The punishment for sin is eternal separation from God in hell. Although the other option is to be forgiven, one has to decide whether one wants to be forgiven or, by default, be punished by going to hell.

Anyone who would like to be forgiven would have to repent of their sins and ask God for forgiveness through Jesus Christ, who took God's prescribed punishment upon Himself in our place—death on the cross. Anyone who accepts Christ's offer is saved from hell, and their relationship with God is restored; the gap is closed, and one becomes a child of God.

Since a personal relationship with God in this life and eternity in heaven are both possible, don't you think it would be tragic to end up in hell? Hell can and should be avoided because of the Bible's frightening description of hell. See some of hell's descriptions below:

●       A place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (see Matthew 13:42).

●       A place of eternal fire (see Matthew 25:41; Jude 1:17).

●       A place prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).

●       A place where the fire does not go out (see Mark 9:43).

●       A place of everlasting destruction and being shut out from the Lord's presence and the glory of His might (2 Thessalonians 1: 9).

●       A place of a fiery lake of burning Sulphur (Revelation 19:20; 21:8).

●       As the second death (Revelation 20:14).

Now that you know what the Bible says about hell, would you agree that not having a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ is the worst tragedy that could ever happen to anyone? I think so, and I encourage you to make the decision that will keep you out of that awful place called hell.

On the other hand, heaven is a desirable place and is described below:

●       A place of eternal life (see Matthew 25:46; John 5:24; Romans 3:23).

●       A place for the children of God (see John 1:12).

●       A place of no condemnation (see John 5:24).

●       A place with many mansions (see John 14:2).

●       A place with pearly gates and streets of gold (Revelation 21:21). 

●       A place where God reigns (see Revelation 19:6).

●       A place without death, sorrow, weeping, or pain (see Revelation 21:4).

●       A place of feasting (Revelation 19:7-8).

Now compare these two places! Please don't go to hell because you don't have to. Repent and turn your life over to Jesus; know that "Just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all eagerly waiting for him" (Hebrews 9:27 NLT).

Think about it, call on Jesus, and do it soon!

GOD'S HEDGE OF PROTECTION

 

Sometimes things just don't go right, no matter what we do. No
amount of personal or corporate prayers offered to God seems to
make any difference. In fact,  most often, situations get worse or
remain unchanged.

We know God is touched by our pain, even though sometimes
He seems to be on vacation, asleep, or too busy with more critical
issues. "For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize
with our weaknesses" (Hebrews 4:15 NIV). On the other hand, the devil starts
the trouble and looks for more ways to make it as unbearable as
possible. He is determined to destroy us and our relationship
with God.

The promises of God are such that one will think life should
be smooth sailing for us. But not so! Instead, quite often, we run
into unbelievable problems. I believe we run into problems when
God removes His hand of protection and provision, making us
vulnerable. Why would God do something like that, knowing the
devil is like a roaring lion waiting to
pounce on us? (see 1 Peter 5:8).

There are at least two reasons:
• One, God is confident we can handle it and wants to
prove to the devil that we will go all the way with Him
no matter what. Scary thought indeed! Remember Job? He was
content to be a Godly man. He was not out to prove
anything to anyone, but God was. God started that whole
conversation with the devil about Job's integrity. Couldn't
He have left it alone? Suddenly, Job's world came
crashing down for no apparent reason. To make matters
worse, the miserable comforters (ignorant friends) who
went, supposedly to sympathize with him, only judged and
criticized him, adding insult to injury.

• Two, it could be there is sin in the camp! Remember
Achan? With God's help, the walls of Jericho 
collapsed, meaning a significant victory for the Israelites.
Ai, being a smaller city than Jericho, was going to be
undoubtedly a piece of cake for the Israelites to conquer,
but to their surprise, they were literally chased out of
town in disgrace. Why? Achan had sinned (see Joshua 7). All
of a sudden, they no longer had God's protection. In
Isaiah 5, God likened the Israelites to a vineyard He had
lovingly cared for that yielded rotten fruit. He responded, "I will take away its hedge, and it will
be destroyed; I will break down its wall, and it will be
trampled. I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor
cultivated, and briers and thorns will grow there. I will
command the clouds not to rain on it" (Isaiah 5:5-6 NIV).

I believe the devil can only touch us when God
removes His hand of protection. (Giving him permission) If God
is out to prove something, we'll just have to go along with His
program, trusting Him to sustain us through the experience. On
the other hand, if it's because of sin in the camp, let's repent so we
can be restored.

GO TO THE MEETING PLACE

Have you ever had an appointment to meet up with someone? Did you make it on time, and did the meeting go as you’d hoped?

Two women named Mary were at the tomb when Jesus was resurrected. The angel who rolled the stone away calmed their fears and assured them that Jesus was no longer dead but alive! He also charged them to go and tell the disciples the good news and to go meet Jesus in Galilee (see Matthew 28:1-8). On their way back to town, Jesus met them, greeted them, and charged them: “Go tell my brothers to leave for Galilee, and they would see me there” (Matthew 28:10). 

So, off the disciples went when they got the message from the women to Galilee, to the mountain, as directed. And sure enough, Jesus was there! The first thing they did when they saw Him was to worship Him. Jesus then confirmed His power and authority and commissioned them to worldwide evangelism and disciple-making (see Matthew 28:18-20). 

Have you kept your appointment with Jesus today, alone or in a group, and did you see Him and worship Him? If not, why not? Worship seems to be the most appropriate response when Christians see Jesus; the women at the tomb worshiped Him when they saw Him, and so did the disciples on the mountain. Let’s join the worship now; after all, that’s what we’ll be doing in all eternity. 

When Jesus asked the disciples to meet Him at the mountain, He ensured He was there. Let’s keep our appointment; the meeting place could vary because “Pray without ceasing” indicates the location could change (nobody is in the same spot 24/7). No matter the site, the meeting needs to occur every day. It should include worship, surrender to the Father’s will, confession, intercession, petition, and accepting our marching orders for the day. He also promised: “Where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them” (Matthew 18:20). We should be encouraged that Jesus never sends us anywhere alone; He goes with us for our support, courage, strength, wisdom, and victory. 

So, what were you commissioned to do today, and are you a bit nervous or unsure of yourself? Don’t worry; His promise to the disciples applies to you as well: “Go therefore … And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Our response to the given charge is to go in faith, doubting nothing, and allowing the Lord to work through us for His glory. Jesus is waiting at the appointed place!

 

DON’T WORRY IS A COMMAND

Worry is the mental distress or agitation resulting from concern. We all have "good" reasons to worry about one thing or the other. We worry when we're sick, jobless, etc., or unsure about outcomes or undesirable or unacceptable results. We like to feel in control and often worry when we think we don't have that control.

Worry is a natural response, but the children of the Most High God are spiritual and, therefore, should respond as God directs: "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done" (Philippians 4:6). Doing this brings an accompanying promise: "Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus" (v 7).

God knows the devastations of worry, including insomnia and poor physical, emotional, and mental health, so He promises us peace. What a mighty God we have! The above verse is not a good suggestion; it is a command to be obeyed. Worrying for a Christian, therefore, is a lack of trust and intentional disobedience that robs the child of God of the peace Jesus promised us: "I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give" (John 14:27).

What is your concern today, and should you worry about it? Whatever your situation, do you think God is happy about your choice to worry? (See Romans 8:28). So, don't worry! Maybe your prayers appear ignored or not that important to God. Remember that God's response to your unresolved issue, no matter what it is, is based on His love and plans for you. He could be saying: okay/now, okay/later, or never; regardless, that response will be the best for you in your circumstance and will bring Him glory.

Jesus teaches that worry is evidence of very little faith (see Matthew 6:30). Is that you? The reason God's children shouldn't worry is quite apparent--since He cares for the birds of the air and the flowers of the field, for whom He didn't die, He definitely will care for us, His children. God knows us so well that He knows how we think or feel at any given time and in every situation. Hence, He provides us solutions before we ever need them. In other words, the answer to our needs and concerns is to entrust them to God in prayer and then claim the accompanying promise of His peace.

Dear brother or sister, let's not forget Philippians 4:6; living by it will spare us much pain, frustration, and poor health. May God help us encourage each other to live worry-free lives because God is more significant than our problems and cares more about us than we can ever understand. We will keep His command if we love Him: "Don't worry!"

DEMONSTRATING YOUR LOVE FOR GOD

 

Love is the desire to hold dear. It is not enough to utter the words “I love you!” In addition to comments, love has to be demonstrated. Recently, I experienced the kind of love I’m referring to. A few months ago, my personal care physician recommended I see a specialist out of state. A friend offered to drive me to the out-of-state appointment without me asking or considering asking. Only love would make a person make that kind of an offer; that offer demonstrated that she loves and cares about my well-being.

  Less than a month ago, I told a friend I would be traveling; right away, without me asking, she offered to give me a ride to the airport, which she did. When she dropped me off, she offered to pick me up on my return, and she did. Both friends demonstrated their love for me in practical ways. Only love would make people go to that length.

God has proven how deeply He loves us by sending His One and only Son, Jesus, to die in our place for our sins, thus affording us eternal life (see John 3:16). There’s something about genuine love that naturally, once experienced, seeks to reciprocate in appreciation. But although we might desire to return God’s love, that’s not the only reason to love Him; Jesus commands us to love Him and to demonstrate that love in tangible ways— by obeying His Word. This is clear in the following verses:

“If you love me, obey my commandments” (John 14:15).

“Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them” (John 14:21).

“All who love me will do what I say.  ... Anyone who doesn’t love me will not obey me” (John 14:23-24).  

“When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love” (John 15:10).   

“Loving God means keeping his commandments, and his commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3).

“Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them” (1 John 3:24).

Jesus is not asking us to do something He wouldn’t do. His Father loved Him, and He obeyed Him even when it hurt. At both His baptism and His transfiguration, God announced His love for the Son (see Mark 1:11; 9:7).

In John 5:30, Jesus clarifies that He does only what God wants: “Therefore, … I carry out the will of the one who sent me, not my own will.”

When Jesus was distressed in the garden of Gethsemane over His pending death, He prayed, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine” (Matthew 26:39).

In other words, as painful a death as Jesus would endure, He obeyed the Father’s will to die for you, me, and the whole world. It was a choice He made to honor the Father who loved Him so much.

How about you and me? We claim we love God, but do we obey Him when it is inconvenient or causes pain? Remember that obeying Him will never cost us more than it cost Him to save us. His promise for our obedience is that we’ll remain in His love.

The hymnist puts it well: “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.” Let’s demonstrate our love for Him through obedience.