Good morning,
When God the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit sat down to design what we call time, the earth and the universe, they didn’t do it to develop their building skills. They did what they did so that they could create what we call people who would be designed in their own image. We were designed as individuals who would begin in time but then continue on in life throughout the rest of eternity. We were designed to be loved by them and then we in turn would be given the choice to love them in return. The three tests that God gave us were based on whether we would trust their guidelines for life, would we love them in return and would we love the people who were living around us. When Jesus was asked what the most important rule was for life, he replied, ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. ’ The second is equally important:‘Love your neighbor as yourself. ’ No other commandment is greater than these.” Soon after Jesus made this statement, he personally allowed himself to be nailed to a cruel cross and then he willingly died to pay the price for all of the sins of all mankind.
We like that part of the story of time, but we easily forget that God also warned us that if we rebelled against his love and refused to live by faith in him, God would punish those individuals and cultures with eternal pain and separation from their Creator. Recorded history is filled with nations and people groups who turned their backs on God only to find that what they had planned for themselves always led to disaster. Right now in America we are confronted with childish, ungodly people who are doing their best to lead our country to total ruin. The world leaders around us seem to be no better, from a spiritual perspective, then what we have here. Sadly, our evangelical leaders almost completely ignore the train of world nations throughout Bible history who have had to deal with the anger and judgement of God for their rebellion against his loving leadership. We in America have no biblical reason to think that God could not possibly lay our nation waste as he has done to other rebellious nations before us. In case you think me extreme in my views, I would suggest that you read Isaiah Chapter 3 to see what God did to his own special people, the Jews. It is also important what God said to those who loved and served him who lived in the land. Tell the godly that all will be well for them. They will enjoy the rich reward they have earned!(v.10) The Lord knows how to take care of his own. But we must not forget what he said in the very next verse. But the wicked are doomed, for they will get exactly what they deserve.(v.11) May the Lord help us to accept God’s judgment as well as his gracious love.
Mark 12:29 Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this:‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. 30 And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. ’ 31 The second is equally important:‘Love your neighbor as yourself. ’ No other commandment is greater than these.”
Roy Wisner
