What if ...?

In recent weeks, I have learned the following:

1. A great awakening has taken place in Haiti in the aftermath of January's earthquake. The president called for a national time of prayer and fasting and cancelled his country's annual Mardi Gras celebration. The result was that over 3000 people gave their lives to Christ including over 100 Voodoo priests. It was reported that over 1 million Haitians hit the streets and began praying and weeping for their country and asking God for His mercy upon them.

2. I spoke with a man who is 87 years old who for years has had a prayer ministry of teaching the Lord's saints to pray around the world. This man still awakens at 4 AM each day to spend time with the Lord and seek His face.

3. I received a copy of a letter from a missionary in Zimbabwe who ministers to a little reached people group there who wrote of a lost man who died and stayed dead for 24 hours and then God raised him from the dead to serve and testify to the Lord Jesus Christ. He also told of a miracle salvation of a man who had a vision the night before and was ready to receive Christ without a gospel presentation when the missionary arrived at his home.

The man being raised from the dead in Zimbabwe was actually the second one I have known about in the last year, as my wife met a worship leader in Egypt last year who had just been raised from the dead weeks before she arrived.

These events have caused me to ask myself some questions and have pushed me to seek more personal time with the Lord in prayer. For the first time in my life, when I learn of someone who has died or is on the verge of death, I am asking the Lord if He wants this person to be raised from the dead. I have never prayed that though I believed the Lord could do it. But as He has said in His word --- you have not because you ask not.

Here are a few "what ifs" to consider. I hope you will ponder them. May they affect you in the way they have begun to affect me:

* What if we waited for a mega disaster to strike before we determined to pray as they've done in Haiti?

* What if we averted disaster like what Haiti experienced in January by praying as they are doing there now?

* What if we prayed for our president as they've done in Haiti?

* What if we had a president who asked for personal prayer and willingly led the nation to shut down for a few days to pray and fast for our country?

* What if we humbled ourselves and prayed and sought His face and turned from our wicked ways as the Body of Christ and as individuals?

* What if our streets were filled with praying people who cried out for our nation and lost souls?

* What if God just "suddenly" showed up and changed numbers of people's lives in a flash of time?

* What if God had to "shake" His church in America as He shook the earth in Haiti in January?

* What if the church fervently cried out like Moses did for the Lord to "show us His glory?" (Exodus 33:18)

* What if the church in America would dare to be still long enough to "know that He is God?" (Psalm 46:10)

* What if we learned what it means to "wait upon the Lord?" (Psalm 27:14 & Isaiah 30:18)

* What if ... (you fill in the blank)?

You Mean ...God Loves Terrorists Too?

"And they sang a new song: 'You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because You were slain, and with Your blood, You purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation.'" Revelation 5:9

Since the terrible days of Sept. 11, 2001, the term "terrorist" has taken on important meaning since that act of violence took place on American soil. Terrorism now makes the headlines almost daily, and it has been doing so for some time.

So, let us define a "terrorist." From Wikpedia, we get a formal definition derived from the United Nations general assembly. They describe acts of terrorism as such:

"Criminal acts intended or calculated to provoke a state of terror in the general public, a group of persons or particular persons for political purposes are in any circumstances unjustifiable, whatever the considerations of a political, philosophical, ideological, racial, ethnic, religious or any other nature that may be invoked to justify them."

Synonyms for terrorism include -- random acts of violence, intimidation, kidnapping & perhaps unjustifiable and unreasonable imprisonment

Terrorism deliberately sows the seeds of confusion and fears among those targeted for terror. It is prejudicial at its root and motivated by selfish pride through domination and intimidation.

But terrorism has been around for eons. It is not something new. Let's consider the following individual and what you would consider him to be:

This man was highly educated. In fact, he sat under the most renowned religious teachers of his day. He not only knew and understood the tiniest of details of his religion, but he practiced them flawlessly. Virtually no one was more religious than he. His pedigree was close to perfection. And to those who no longer believed what he truly believed about religion he sought to destroy through random acts of violence, intimidation and kidnapping. He even travelled from home to home to drag off the prisoners of his choice. He moved with stealth and authority to terrorize. His goal was destruction and elimination, and he performed his duties with a zeal seldom seen in others. He successfully wrought fear among those he targeted. And he fully believed that he was doing all of this for God. Underneath it all, was a self righteous pride cloaked in the garbs of religious practice.

Who was this man? His name was Saul of Tarsus. By any definition, he was a terrorist! Before he met Christ on the road to Damascus, that is what he was! In the same way that Muslim zealots seek to destroy Jews, Chrisians, Americans and any others they deem to be infidels, Paul, the Jewish zealot sought to annhilate the early Christian church (see Acts 7:59 - 8:3; Acts 9:1-2 & 13-4; Acts 22:1-5; Acts 26:4-11; Galatians 1:13-14; Philippians 3:4-6). Paul even sought to get believers in Christ to blaspheme in the same way that some radical Muslims continue to do with former Islamic practioners who have come to Christ for salvation (Acts 26:11). Prior to becoming the Apostle Paul, Saul was a terrorist!

We know for certain that God loves people. That is the primary motivating principle behind Jesus' coming in to this world. In love, He came to save people from their sins and to deliver them from certain separation from God and His wrath by granting forgiveness through His shed blood. We could find other reasons for the Lord's saving of souls, but one reason I believe we sometimes forget is this: the redeeming qualities of a given person. What do I mean by that? Take the pre-Christian Paul for instance. He was highly educated and probably spoke more than one language. Though his zeal was misguided, he was very zealous for what he believed in and who he believed God to be. In short, there was great potential for his being a world wide missionary, church planter, evangelist and staunch defender of the cause of Christ. That sounds like an ideal apostle! And that is what he became! The vast majority of New Testament writings and the founding of many first century churches could be directly attributable to the heavenly Father using the Apostle from Tarsus as His chosen instrument. God saw Saul's amazing potential -- and He saved Him!

In Texas, it is obvious that the Muslim religion has arrived. You can travel through various metro areas and see mosques, shop and dine with Muslim men and women and notice a few billboards advertising Islam to the masses. Many local gas stations and convenience stores are owned and/or operated by Muslims. There is even a proposal for a Muslim slaughterhouse to be built in Texas that would come complete with an Islamic prayer room for the employees slaughtering animals who handle the process according to the stringent Sharia laws of Islam.

As I have pondered all of these things, I have developed a major burden -- for both Muslims and professing Christians. I pray for Muslims, because they follow a false god, are slaves to religious practice and need salvation. And I am very concerned for professing believers too. Why? Because some professing believers seem to harbor much anger, bitterness and animosity toward Muslims and the prospect of living amongst Islamic people. Other professing believers seem to be oblivious to what is beginning to happen all around them. They are blind. A number wrongly feel that every Muslim is a terrorist, so they are bound by unwholesome fears. Some even present an attitude that God either could not or would not save a Muslim man or woman.

Do we believe the verse at the beginning of this paper in Revelation 5:9? Clearly, there will be people from all over the world -- every tribe, every language, etc. in heaven who came to Christ for salvation. And yes, surely there are former Muslims among that throng in heaven!

Read the following:

"For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37

"Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear." Isaiah 59:1

"God ... Who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth." I Timothy 2:4

Do we believe these verses? Are we willing to love all people on this earth -- even a terrorist -- no matter his cause? Can we, as genuine Christians, love them enough to pray for their salvation and open our mouths to tell them about our beloved Jesus? Can we look beyond the "present" in someone's life and see the "future" they can have in Jesus --those redemptive qualities that can glorify the Kingdom as God did with Paul?

God has saved at least one terrorist already! He did it through a divine vision, and He is doing it again today all over the Muslim world! Why can't it happen even here in the good old USA? The question is: Do we believe it, and do we have enough love in our hearts to speak up in order to see it happen?

The religious landscape is changing before our eyes right now in our nation. The truth is: It's coming to America! In fact, it's already here!

It's time to heed Paul's words in Ephesians 5:14 -- "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead and Christ will shine on you."

It is getting late, and it is getting serious!

Earthquakes? Let's talk

In recent weeks, earthquakes have dominated the news with their size as well as their devastation. They have certainly made their impact upon our world! They have aroused our sense of compassion to those in need, touched our hearts and emotions, caused us to stand in awe, etc., but they have also caused many of us to ask questions. Among the most frequently asked questions are: "What is happening?" & "What does this mean, if anything?" & "Is this from God?" or "Is this the result of man's failures to act as proper stewards with the earth and our environment?"

On March 2, scientists astounded us by stating their belief that the earth moved slightly on its axis and the lengths of daytime changed a little because of the February 27 Chilean temblors. They have even surmised that an island off Chile was raised approximately 6 feet due to the enormous upheaval caused by the tectonic plates shifting! And ocean waves were energized to move at the speed of a commercial jetliner across the Pacific! What a display of incredible power!

The recent quakes have even caused some numerologists to search for answers through the numbers involved. For instance, Haiti's earthquake measured 7.0, and it was very close to 7 weeks before the 8.8 temblor shook Chile. Therefore, the questions revolve around the numbers 7 & 8 both separately and joined together. Then there is the name of one of the major cities near the epicenter of Chile's tremor -- Concepcion (translated into English as "Conception" or the beginning of a new life).

Let us look at the numbers first. First of all, this is not meant to be a dissertation on numbers per se, so we will just bring out some pertinent facts about the numbers 7 & 8. Seven is the number of perfection or completeness. Our Creator rested on the 7th day signifying that His creation was complete and perfect as created. Seven is one of the more significant and most often used numbers in the Bible with numerous examples given throughout. Eight is the number of superabundance or the beginning of something new. For instance, the eighth day marks the beginning of a new week. In addition, it is the number of salvation -- the beginning of a new life in Jesus Christ. Turned on its side, the number 8 is a symbol for an infinite number.

Regarding the recent earthquakes, some theories have developed primarily around these numbers. For instance, the sevens came in twos. A 7 point tremor leveled Haiti followed by 7 weeks until Chile's huge quake. Until now, never have 2 quakes of that size come that close together. The earliest that 2 quakes of that size came after one another had been about 3 months. Chile's temblor measured 8.8, so the eights came in twos also. And the most notable town nearest to the epicenter of Chile's earthquake was Concepcion. Putting it altogether, so goes the theory, the Haitian tremor marked the end of a completed period of time. The Chilean tremor therefore marked the beginning of something new, and it was birthed in Concepcion. The sobering reality of all of these theories would be the birthing of a period of an even greater number of earthquakes that are super abundant and seem to almost be infinite in number. Perhaps the theory is just telling us that something new is beginning. The fact that these numbers, 7 & 8, appear to have come in pairs seems noteworthy too. Why? Because in the Bible when things are mentioned twice, it is to emphasize its importance and seriousness (i.e. Jesus using "verily" in pairs often --John 1:51 and others). Pardon the pun, but the theories are pregnant with interest and intrigue!

Contrary to what you may be thinking, I am not a person who is putting a great deal of stock in the theory outlined above. In other words, I am not at all saying that this is a "thus saith the Lord" kind of thing. I am just stating the theory. But let us consider: is this theory true? Only time will tell us. There are those who seem to want to spiritualize everything that they see in the natural realm. I think sometimes things in the natural do tell us something about the spiritual, but this kind of thinking can be taken too far also. So what is the point to all of this? It is this. The Bible has some things to say to us about earthquakes. For instance, Jesus said that among the signs that will appear before He comes again (see Matthew 24:1-8) will be the occurrence of earthquakes in diverse places (v.7) -- or all over our world. In verse 8, he says earthquakes, along with the other listed signs, will be viewed as the beginning of birth pains (conception?). I have never birthed a baby thank goodness, but from hearing women talk, the birth pains gradually get more frequent and more pronounced near the end of pregnancy. These verses in Matthew, however, do represent a "thus saith the Lord" statement.

But regardless of whether or not the recent earthquake facts and numbers discussed earlier prove to be meaningful and prophetic, some other facts remain. For instance, throughout the entire 20th century until now, and particularly since Israel's re-birth as a nation in 1948, the regularity of "killer" sized earthquakes all over the world has greatly increased. Official geological data bears this out. If you want figures, I'll get them for you.

But the biggest facts are found in God's word. Here is what Revelation 16 tells us about an earthquake coming on earth one day:

"The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, 'It is done!' Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of His wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. From the sky huge hailstones of about 100 pounds each fell upon men. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible." Revelation 16:17-21

Californians like to talk about the "big one" that they fear will dump part of their state into the Pacific Ocean. The "big one" they are imagining does not compare to the "big one" that the Lord will bring upon a sinful and dying world that has rejected His Son one day. This really "big one" comes from God, as it is clearly part of His wrath according to God's word. Does His wrath take place because of man's failures? Yes, but it is not due to our failure to treat the so called "earth mother" properly. It is simply due to sin -- rebellion against a Holy God who sent His Son in love to die for the sins of the world and then was raised from the dead after 3 days. There are plenty of facts to back these truths up.

Should we take God's word concerning earthquakes and judgment seriously? After all, these words were penned long ago. You may be asking yourself: "Doesn't the Bible just represent the words of some men? Is is really God's word?" Consider that God was absolutely perfect in His over 100 prophecies concerning the birth, life, death and resurrection of His Son. Jesus is the promised Messiah of the Old Testament. There are hundreds of other prophecies that have proven beyond doubt that God is correct and the revealer of truth. And incidentally, there are twice as many prophecies concerning Jesus' second coming as His first.

Please read the following:

"But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since we have been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him! For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!" Romans 5:8-10

"They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whome He raised from the dead -- Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath." I Thessalonians 1:9-10

Where are you, dear reader? Have you believed on the Lord Jesus Christ? Have you put complete trust -- that is your very life in His hands to save you from your sins and the wrath to come? His love is amazing! He awaits you to respond to His loving call. He has already done all that is needed to provide the way of salvation. It's done! Will you give your life to Him today? Ask yourself, if He came today: "Would I experience His wrath or His salvation?" As you consider the answer to that question, you should also ask: "Why would I experience His wrath or His salvation?" Your answer to "why" is extremely important too.

It is getting late, and it is getting serious.