At Charisma Media, we have been closely covering the fallout from the Supreme Court’s recent ruling that declared same-sex marriage as the law of the land. We have received many, many comments on our stories, some of which are predicting gloom and doom for America to come soon.
For example:
“Judgment.”
“Yes, judgment!”
“Judgment will come.”
“It won’t be long now.”
There certainly are a lot of Chicken Littles out there.
OK, suppose God’s judgment is coming really soon. Just suppose that it will come at the end of the summer or early fall. Will it come in the guise of a nuclear war? Will there be a major economic collapse? How about a plague that will wipe out half of the earth, or a famine or a major earthquake?
Does that scare you? If so, you’ve got to ask yourself one simple question: “Am I right with God?”
This may sound very simplistic, trite and like a sermon that has been preached for years by many. But why aren’t believers of Jesus Christ getting it? If the answer to the above question is yes, then what are you so worried about?
Romans 8:31 says, “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” In his sermon on the mount, Jesus told the crowd, “Who among you by taking thought can add a cubit to his stature?” (Matt. 6:27).
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom. 8:31).
My wonderful, Spirit-filled mother Florence, with whom I credit my spiritual foundation, even today corrects me when I use the word “worry” when I talk to her. “Remember what God’s Word says about that, Shawn.” And every time she says that, indeed I’m convicted. Thanks, Mom!
None of us wants to be around to experience a nuclear war. None of us wants to see the economy collapse like a wet noodle (it is the year of the Shemitah, after all). Nobody wants to live through a cataclysmic plague and suffer physically. Any or all of those would be, to say the least, more than a bit uncomfortable.
But what is it that we’re forgetting here? Are we conveniently dismissing the fact that God has already defeated Satan and that we have the victory in Jesus? “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!” (1 Cor. 15:57). “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Rom. 8:37).
Granted, I know I still have work to do on this earth. I know that I’m not finished with the task that God has so graciously given me stewardship over—to continue to spread His gospel and help bring souls into the kingdom.
There are still things that I would like to experience. Some day, I would like to see my kids graduate high school and college, and to see both my son and daughter walk down the aisle to get married. I’d like to have grandkids some day—just so I can see them mentally torture their parents (lol, just kidding of course). I would like to take my wife to Australia some day.
If those things happen, I’ll be eternally grateful to my Lord and Savior. If those things don’t happen because of the Rapture, His Second Coming or some unforeseen circumstances, then I’ll be eternally grateful to my Lord and Savior.
Fellow believers, don’t spend your time worrying about what could happen in the future. Nothing that happens to us on this earth compares to the glorious eternal life we have ahead of us. However, we need to be ready for anything that comes our way, and we need to live our lives for Christ and to be as Christ-like as we possibly can to show the rest of the world that there is something else for them besides the hollow life that they are living without Jesus.
And please stay off of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc., with the negative stuff about our society. That only shows unbelievers that we are not trusting that God is in control of EVERYTHING. That tends to blow our witness, you know?
As Dr. Michael Brown tweeted this past weekend, “The moment you post with anger and immaturity and insults, even if your cause is right, you’re wrong.” I also ran across the title of a book called, Defending the Christian Faith With Holiness, Respect and Truth, by Michael C. Sherrard. I haven’t read it, but judging by the title, I’m sure I’ll read it soon.
Again, it may sound simplistic, but that’s really all there is to it, isn’t there?
And as I always like to say, “There is that.” God bless.
Shawn A. Akers is the online managing editor at Charisma Media. He is a published poet and published a story about Dale Earnhardt in NASCAR Chicken Soup For the Soul. You can read his blog here.
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