CoffeeBreak With The Word

A study released this week predicted that Christianity would be ‘extinct’ in New Zealand, Australia, Austria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Finland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Switzerland when this generation dies off. One of the talking heads on cable TV spent much of two recent programs ranting against the truthfulness of the Bible claiming that it is a work of fiction that ‘no sane person would believe in its entirety.’ Several books written by atheists declaring the end of faith and the rise of reason have gained wider audiences suggesting a new popular interest in godlessness. Even Evangelical preachers in America seem intent on committing a kind of suicide, as they pull out their guns on their blogs and blaze away at each other over a recent book that suggests that we ought to re-examine our penchant for sending people to Hell given the Gospel’s great message of salvation through the Cross.

Don’t let all this noise get to you, disciple. The study about Christianity dying out ignores the astonishing increases of numbers of Christians in China, on the continent of Africa, and in Korea. The TV ranter reveals his ignorance about how to read the Bible. No real student of Scripture reads Revelation in the same way they read the Gospels! One is an allegory, the other history. Both are true, in their own genre. Atheism hangs on but only among a single digit percentage. Truthfully those who claim to be Christian but living unholy and uncommitted lives are much more of a concern to me than those who publish angry screeds fighting with a God they claim does not exist.

Jesus teaches His followers to stay steady through it all. “Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:1-8, NIV)

Faith is neither simple, nor easy. It is a precious gift from God that must be nourished by obedience. Studying from the book of Exodus and the sins of the Israelites who God delivered from slavery in Egypt and called to become His own holy people, we need to learn a radical kind of dependence, a willingness to look past our cravings for self-satisfaction to find and live in the will of our Father. Failure and subsequent falls into sin always begin with unbelief! God does not ask us to suspend reason, nor does He demand that we enter a world of madness where we live in silly superstition. That is not faith.

The Lord offers us an assurance of His salvation, a destiny in His eternal home, and a life that is marked by purpose but only if we will let Him lead us. “Trust Me,” He says. That phrase is genuinely frightening when it comes from someone who motives and intentions are unknown. When God invites us to trust Him we need not fear, at all. He is good. He is loving. He cannot fail. So, will you let faith flourish?

Even when the world is shaking (and it literally has been doing that recently) and the opponents of faith are screaming, let’s go to the Father and renew our hope. “Will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones?” Yes, but will we remain faithful until it comes? That’s the question.

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Let Your Glory Fall

Father of creation
Unfold Your sov’reign plan
Raise up a chosen generation
That will march through the land
All of creation is longing
For Your unveiling of pow’r
Would You release Your anointing
Oh God let this be the hour

Ruler of the nations
The world has yet to see
The full release of Your promise
The church in victory
Turn to us Lord and touch us
Make us strong in Your might
Overcome our weakness
That we could stand up and fight

Let Your glory fall
In this room
Let it go forth from here
To the nations
Let Your fragrance rest
In this place
As we gather to seek Your face

© 1992 Mercy / Vineyard Publishing (Admin. by Music Services, Inc.)
David Ruis
CCLI License No. 810055