As I
am composing this article, I am listening to the reports from yet another
deadly terrorist attack in Europe. Gunman opened fire on shoppers at a busy,
downtown mall in Munich, Germany. This is the third major attack that has taken
place in Europe in the last couple of weeks. A man drove a truck through the
crowds in Nice, France on Bastille Day, killing 82 and injuring over 200 others.
There was a young man who entered a commuter train in Germany and injured five
people with an ax and knife.
In
our own country, we have witnessed several black men shot by police. In
response to those shootings, police officers have become targets, with the
result of at least eight officers being killed and others wounded. In many
ways, our world seems to be falling apart.
All these
events are disturbing, but we should not be surprised. Jesus warned us that in
the last days the world will go crazy. Jesus
answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my
name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. You will hear of wars
and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must
happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
All these are the beginning of birth pains.
"Then you will be handed over to be
persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of
me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate
each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.
Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he
who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will
be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end
will come. Matthew 24:4-14.
How
are we to respond to the events of our world? Are we to live in fear? Are we to
become angry vigilantes? Are we to hide and hope it all goes away? The answer
to all of these questions is a definitive NO! The Bible is very clear about how
we should respond.
We
are to respond with love and compassion. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus issued
a call for us to take the high road in these situations. "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate
your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute
you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise
on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax
collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing
more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your
heavenly Father is perfect. Matthew 5:43-48
It
has been said that the best way to defeat your enemy is to make him your
friend. There are so many evil forces that are dividing us against one another.
As followers of Christ, we need to lead the way at building bridges. The best
way to do that is through genuine love and compassion.
We
are to be light in our ever darkening world. Satan is making a concerted
effort to tear the world apart. He knows the time is short and he is pulling
out all of the stops. But light always wins over darkness. When Jesus came into
the world, He unleashed His light, in order to dispel the darkness. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through
him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In
him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the
darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. John 1:1-5 In the Sermon
on the Mount, Jesus enlisted us to be agents through which His light can
overcome the darkness of Satan. "You
are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do
people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand,
and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light
shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in
heaven. Matthew 5:14-16 We need to let the light of Christ shine through us
in tangible, practical, transformational ways.
We
need to stay focused. As I watch the videos coming out of Germany, the
overwhelming sense is one of confusion. When bad things happen, we tend to lose
our balance. That is exactly what Satan wants to accomplish. As followers of
Christ, we have been called to stay focused on the right things. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus,
who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his
kingdom, I give you this charge: Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out
of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful
instruction. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound
doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a
great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will
turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. But you, keep your
head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist,
discharge all the duties of your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:1-5 The Bible warns
us that, in the end times, many will compromise their faith in a effort to
appease the darkness. That is the very thing we cannot do. We need to be bold
and stand firm on the solid foundation of our faith in Jesus Christ.
We
need to resist fear. Fear is an
important warning system. It alerts us to potential danger. But fear is
horrible master. When fear and panic take over, we run away when we should
stand firm. We close our mouths when we should open them. We despair when we
should be holding onto the hope we have in Christ. The message that God gave to
Joshua is a message we need to hear and take to heart. It is a promise we can
hold onto. "Be strong and
courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to
their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to
obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or
to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book
of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you
may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and
successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be
terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you
wherever you go." Joshua 1:6-9
The
world around us is getting darker. It seems like Satan is winning, but he is
not. He has already been defeated. Jesus won the victory on the cross at
Calvary. So we can face the future with confidence and courage, because our
hope is in the Risen, Victorious Lord! Therefore
we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are
being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving
for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on
what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is
unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
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