I had just finished watching the news about the horror of the shooting deaths in Texas that followed the terror in Buffalo. Can you imagine the pain the parents suffered and the terror the young children who survived will endure for the rest of their lives?
This turned my thoughts to the prophecy in Revelation 9:21 concerning the last generation before Jesus returns: “They did not repent of their murders.”
“We have created a culture of death in America,” I declared to myself.
Think of what we see and hear in our nation. Abortion is a simple solution. We see mass graves in Ukraine in our news. Mass murders and the pain and suffering of those who survive these senseless killings in our schools and cities.
Evolution robs our children of any purpose and meaning in life beyond the grave. They experience the death of marriages. We are trying to destroy the family of God’s institution of one father and one mother. Our movies and video games are filled with violence and death.
Allow me to share an experience that can help us get the victory of life over death in our culture.
As I walked down my stairs to go to bed that night, it happened again. I saw my father-in-law’s face in my mind so vividly. Every year or so, his face haunts me because it reminds me of my future death. He had heart surgery for a second time, after swearing he would never have another, but faced with death or a life without mobility, he chose the operation.
His heart surgery was a success, but his healing process was a nightmare. The rehab nurses at night did not care for him properly, so he fell and broke his back. They let him lay in misery until Beverly, my wife, showed up and insisted her father be examined. This revealed he had broken a vertebrae in his fall.
This led to other complications. One day when I visited him in the hospital, he was hoisted up in his bed as they examined his arms. They were laid out straight to the side, terribly swollen. He looked me in the eye. I saw a deer in the headlights. He was shocked, shaken and knew he had no control over what they were doing to him.
I remember it so clearly as I stared at him, the sense that he knew he would die. I saw he would die. The system that worked diligently, even miraculously, to save him, also had him trapped and would lead to his death. He had no control, like a fly caught in a spider’s web.
Sometimes that scene in the hospital flashes through my mind. My sorrow for Beverly’s dad becomes the reminder that I too will die one day. I pray God spares me from this wonderful but also complex system that keeps us alive only to suffer and die. They cannot stop death, only delay it.
The good news, I am not afraid of death. I know Jesus has conquered death for me by dying on the cross for my sin. It sounds so simple, but it is true. God has given me eternal life because of Jesus and His sacrifice.
I have faced death a few times but never feared for my life. I had malaria and almost died, but God healed me. I have been shot at by rebels and had no fear. His peace comforted me. That is a wonderful gift from God.
Corrie Ten Boom, the great saint who survived the Holocaust, when faced with a fatal heart problem, rejected the doctor’s advice for surgery. She was not afraid to die. She knew Jesus, so she had a choice. If she had been younger, she probably would have had the operation.
Sin and death are the two problems all human beings cannot conquer. For thousands of years, we have tried to defeat these twin peaks of doom, but failed. The pyramids are a reminder of past failures. Now we are on the verge of cloning, so one never has to die, or technology by which our brain and consciousness can be transferred to a healthy body or a robotic shell.
Death confronts us in the murders in Texas and Buffalo as it did for my father-in-law and for me. The world searches for answers. Our leaders cry about gun control, but the real answer is to teach in our schools about life. We are created in God’s image.
Every person born has equal value and worth. Everyone has a destiny and purpose in life. The teachings of Jesus lead to a lifestyle of hope and life, not death and hopelessness.
This culture of death in our nation comes from a lack of knowledge and vision, which the Bible calls foolishness. It is the opposite of wisdom and revelation knowledge. The sad truth is it would take a miracle for America to accept the truth that needs to be taught to our students. Secular humanism would rise up like a beast out of the sea to devour all who believe in the Word of God.
Yet, God is a God of miracles. I believe in miracles. Jesus is our only hope.
We will never achieve eternal life on our own or stop this spirit of murder by our own efforts. Only Jesus has defeated sin and death. He died for us on the cross and rose from the dead as our Savior and Lord. One day all who repent and believe in Him will receive resurrected bodies and live in the new heaven and new earth.
Our bodies will be incorruptible and immortal and reflect the glory of God. No more sin, no more pain or suffering or tears or death. It will be wonderful and majestic with perfect peace and truth and righteousness. No more fear or addictions or broken hearts. All will be healed and made whole.
Jesus wants everyone to have the assurance of eternal life. Beverly’s dad had this peace. I have this peace as do millions of followers of Jesus who know this truth. We know death is not the end, but a glorious, new beginning. May you know this peace and assurance in Jesus Christ and share it with others. Our world needs this powerful truth.
Listen to my podcast for more about this important message. {eoa}
Blake Lorenz was raised in the church but never knew Jesus Christ. His god was himself and sports. After he was released from the Chicago Cubs organization, his life fell to pieces. In this crisis, he cried out to Jesus and gave Him his life. He came into his room and he literally met Jesus Christ. He surrounded him with His love and told Blake to go into the world to call people to follow Him. God has blessed him to be a pastor and evangelist for 38 years in Central Florida and around the world. He just released a new novel called Greater Love, which can be purchased on Amazon.
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