There is Purpose for All of It!

My heart goes out to so many people across the entire globe who are trying to escape persecution, war, shortages of food and water, severe weather, violence and sickness. I believe our LORD is saddened for individuals as well. When I was growing up, some people said such occurrences were not increasing; instead, they attributed the volume of reports to increased awareness due to enhanced global media coverage and normalized volume based on ratio statistics. Lately, “trusted” news providers have concentrated reporting on localized information such as elections and management of the pandemic response with only a few stories about world affairs. While numerable internet updates demonstrate the earth’s birth pains are increasing in instances and intensity, our minds seem to be preoccupied with whatever “uniform message” is being communicated by government-regulated and supported sources. Mainstream reporting spends less time detailing the information and more time providing their opinion on the story.  We do know every earthly perspective about an event is flawed. 

 

• Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast that word which I preached to you; unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time. For I am the least of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. Therefore, whether it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. (1st Corinthians 15:1 to 11).

Scripture tells us to be vigilant and to refuse to allow the stresses of this life to bring us to worry (fretting only leads to evil, reference Psalms 37 and Proverbs 24). The Word of God tells us that we can know the truth and we can make wise decisions. There is certainly a difference between despairing and giving thought to a situation in order to address concerns in a wise manner. It is written: 

• Wisdom is better than weapons of war; But one sinner destroys much good.” (Ecclesiastes 9:18).
• And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. (Romans 12:2 ).

When considering life and death situations are confronting so many, we must acknowledge that our LORD’s wisdom is required to navigate the current times. As followers of Christ, we must be able to discern how to walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. (Ephesians 5:15 to 17). The word “circumspectly” is the English transliteration for the Greek word “akribōs” (which means exactly, accurately, diligently). In these last days as we wait for the LORD Jesus Christ to catch us up to Himself, we must be accurate about lifestyle and faith matters; we cannot afford to be guessing or coerced into groupthink.

• For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. (1st Thessalonians 4:16 and 17).

While we are cooperative with the government (which is biblical), our hope can not be in an earthly form of government. There are times when evil leaders contradict the Word of God, and in these times, we must remember that our hope is in our everlasting Creator, Sustainer, Redeemer: the LORD, Jesus Christ, the Word of God made flesh. So then, a significant challenge can be discerning what God’s specific will for an individual and nation is during troubling times. They may or may not be the same.

We’ve heard the popular phrase penned by John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton in 1887:

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.”

And long before this maxim was written, the LORD provided biblical examples of this point, and He also provided His redemptive plan for sinful humanity. In Daniel 3 we learn of the pride that king Nebuchadnezzar (the conquering and victorious empire leader of the day) had and his use of power to force subservience or conformity of worship and ideology (even when insincere) merely for his pleasure. For Babylon, it was a great time of expanding conquest; for the children of Israel, it was time of defeat, assimilation, and fear. The account occurred during the captivity of Israel which spanned 70 years starting at 605 B.C.  

• Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. So … they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Then a herald cried aloud: “To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.” (Daniel 3:1 to 6).

Once the process was in place, the prophet Daniel’s three Hebrew friends (who were exiled with him in Babylon) named Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were reported for non-compliance to the king’s command. Now these three were originally named Hananiah (which means God has favoured), Mishael (which means who is what God is), and Azariah (which means Jehovah has helped). Refer to Daniel 2:17. Nebuchadnezzar removed the mention of their God by renaming them with names that referred to the pagan gods he worshiped. He relabeled them but he was unable to remove Jehovah from their hearts. Nebuchadnezzar was enraged with their defiance and summoned the men to appear before him. He reiterated the consequences of disobedience and provided them with another opportunity to conform to his wishes. Of course, this would require Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego to compromise their beliefs and conscience so they responded by saying:

•  “If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. “But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17 to 18).

These young men understood the consequences and had resolved that is was necessary to declare the allegiance to their God although it would have been too easy to yield to the appearance of conformity. They king did not care that they served the LORD. Initially, he only cared that he was obeyed above all else. They could not ”go along to get along’ because they knew the command was against Jehovah’s will which was expressed in the LORD’s law. The worship of an image was idolatry; to pretend to do so was a lie. God’s Word overruled all other earthly law. Throughout the Book of Daniel, God’s sovereignty over human affairs is evident and so is His immanence.

God’s ways ensure both national and personal sin is judged while intervening mercifully and graciously for those who serve Him. He may have purposed Israel’s exile but He was present and actively involved with His own.   

The uncompromising response of these three men resulted in them being bound and thrown into the fiery furnace. 

• Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” “Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” (Daniel 3:24 and 25).

At this point, Nebuchadnezzar understood that the God these men served was the only God that could deliver this way (providing His presence in the midst of intense fire and ensuring safety because He had willed it). Nebuchadnezzar then released and promoted the men. The obvious is point is that God was with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego when they needed Him desperately. Have you noticed that Daniel wasn’t there? While the Bible does not tell us where he was, we know that the LORD had him taken out of the picture for this test. This tells me, not all individuals are destined for the same trials. Now, were the trial of the three young men’s faith and physical persecution simply a result of Nebuchadnezzar’s pride or sin? Could the LORD have purposed their persecution for a greater purpose knowing that they would not bend and that He would deliver them? We aren’t very comfortable with that type of thought. But in reality, it should bring encouragement because it authenticates in our lives that God is in control which means His promises to us will stand eternally. Our promise and hope of salvation stands even if we don’t like how we get there.

From Scripture, we know that the exile of Israel was ordered by the LORD. Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel were prophets during the same period of time to different geographic territories where God’s people were residing. They each had specific calls to specific groups of people for specific durations. Who are the people you interact with? Why? Is there any purpose in your interactions and locations? Is God doing something in and through you? Let’s read this next passage from Jeremiah. 

• This is the text of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. (This was after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the skilled workers and the artisans had gone into exile from Jerusalem.) … It said: This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: “Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce. Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.” Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: “Do not let the prophets and diviners among you deceive you. Do not listen to the dreams you encourage them to have. They are prophesying lies to you in my name. I have not sent them,” declares the LORD. This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.” (Jeremiah 29, portions from verses 1 to 14 from the New International Version).

In Jeremiah 25:9, the LORD referred to Nebuchadnezzar as His servant because the king was accomplishing the LORD’s will despite what the Israelites would have hoped for. Nebuchadnezzar did come to realize who God was after the LORD humbled him by reducing Nebuchadnezzar’s mental functioning to that of a beast of the field for 7 years. In secular history, there is no record of political activity between 582 and 575 B.C. Scripture states:

• And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand or say to Him, “What have You done?” At the same time, my reason returned to me, and for the glory of my kingdom, my honor and splendor returned to me. My counselors and nobles resorted to me, I was restored to my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added to me. Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways justice. And those who walk in pride He is able to put down. (Daniel 4:34 to 37).

Our LORD will work diligently in our earth to produce a love for His Word, and Himself. This means that He can, does, and will permit and cause undesirable situations to arise for His purposes. It may be to judge sin because He is righteous. It may be to save a soul because He is merciful. It may be to prosper a people in an unlikely place or time because He is gracious. It may be to align end-time events because He is sovereign. The possibilities are many.  

With all of that said, there were other times when the LORD purposed for His people to take the offensive and fight to vanquish evil or to protect themselves.

I am in no way commenting on what the LORD would instruct a believer to do in the circumstances of their lives.   Each believer must live to have a clear conscience before the LORD. 

• So then each of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12 ).
• For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2nd Corinthians 5:10).

These two Scriptures have nothing to do with a regenerated, sealed believer’s eternal destination; but, both verses have everything to do with our eternity with Him.

Our actions and motives in this life will have a direct correlation with our eternal rewards and assignments at the judgement seat of Christ.

I am loudly suggesting that each believer must grow in faith, trust, love and knowledge of our LORD’s nature, promises, and Word increasingly. Continuously.

His magnanimity so surpasses our understanding that discovering the dimensions of His love is an endless experience. As Scripture states:

• that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height, to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17 to 19).

Family of God, we will not arrive at until we are eternally united with Him and glorified. We are merely on our way to being completely filled with the fullness of God. Wow! Filled with the fullness of GOD!

• Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. (1st John 3:2).
• When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:4).

When we continue to grow in the knowledge of the Jehovah, our Saviour, the King and Creator, we can then better hear His voice and understand His will. As we traverse the course of life the LORD ordained for us with its complexities and trials, we must come to a place where our confidence in Him and our resolve for Him is as secure as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. We should make it our daily prayer to have this reverence and awe of the LORD. When we do so, we may be concerned about what confronts us or others, but we will not lose heart because we know the outcome. And while deception is all around us, we will know the truth from God’s Word and we will be guided by His Holy Spirit.

Let’s consider just a few Scriptures related to the frame of mind we should maintain. First, Jesus said:

• “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32).
• “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. “And where I go you know, and the way you know.” … “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:1 to 4 and verse 27).
• “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. … “Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:28 and 31).

Paul under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit told us:

• But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him. Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing. (1st Thessalonians 5:1 to 11).

As the story of humanity continues to unfold, we are to be sober-minded (aware), to be protected from the fiery darts of the enemy by faith and love, and to set our minds steadfastly in our blessed hope.

• For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11 to 14).

Whatever conviction the LORD gives to you will be in total agreement with the Scripture and His nature. Know that our LORD has a plan and a time for everything.

• To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; … A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to keep, And a time to throw away; A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to keep silence, And a time to speak; A time to love, And a time to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace. … He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts, except that no one can find out the work that God does from beginning to end. … I know that whatever God does, It shall be forever. Nothing can be added to it, And nothing taken from it. God does it, that men should fear before Him. (portions of Ecclesiastes 3).

With the catchphrase “the new normal” repeated almost everywhere, I’ve had to evaluate what that means for myself. Who determines what normal will be? Prior to any circumstantial changes, I did not fit the “normal” of society because of the law of the LORD. There were plenty of things I didn’t participate in willingly and I was more than content! Those who echo these catchphrases and provide “messaging” for mass consumption are doing their jobs to the best of their abilities and have employer constraints as well.  

As believers, we ought to remember to have grace for the individuals who either fully believe the spins of their stories or are conflicted with the politics they find themselves in. Each person makes moral decisions based on a combination of risk assessments in conjunction with their consciences. Their actions will align with what is most important to them.   

• “Now therefore, fear the LORD, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods … And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:14 and 15).
• For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. (Philippians 1:21).

I have even been conflicted when listening to sermons that contain popular secular thinking. There has been fewer messages about the return of our King and more messages about abiding on the earth. I have been torn inwardly with an inaccurate interpretation of Scripture, or the insertion of liberal commentaries into messages. I have had to pray for the grace of God to shine brighter in my heart for the imperfect imparter of those sermons. This can be difficult for those who love the meat of the Word. It becomes paramount that each believer knows the Word for themselves and not rely on thought leadership wherever it comes from whether that’s government, news, and pulpits. Why do people try to update God? This is futile since He never changes! What compromises are leaders willing to make in order to “do normal” or even “do church”? No let us rather say, let us be the church shining in truth and love. Let us say like the Psalmist:

• Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O LORD! Teach me Your statutes. … I will meditate on Your precepts, And contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word. … Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law. I am a stranger in the earth; Do not hide Your commandments from me. (Portions of Scripture from Psalm 119 starting at verse 11).

Will things ever return to the glory of former days? The Word of God tells us that things will grow increasingly dark. While the world may resume its way of life at some point (as in the days of Noah, eating and drinking), for believer we can expect to see more reasons to pray. Jesus said:

• “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. … “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. “But he who endures to the end shall be saved. (Matthew 24:6 to 13).

So as the world continues to deteriorate and even dispises our distinctiveness, our commission is to be ambassadors for our King. If we love our LORD, we love what He loves. And, if we have the love of the LORD in our hearts, we want others to come into a relationship with Him. We know our LORD does not take pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23) because it means eternal separation from Him. The world needs to know there is a way into the Kingdom of God and it must be made known through the preaching of the gospel. The bible says:

• How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14).
• So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. (Romans 10:17).

Our normal must be in worship of our LORD, in the Word, and on our knees. Our normal must include sharing the Gospel even when it’s not popular or has risk. Our normal must encourage other believers while maintaining the purity of the Word. Our LORD disagreed with the disciples from time to time while He loved them and corrected them. Christ is our example. When all is said and done, our love, devotion, faith in the LORD and our hope entrance into His Kingdom must be our normal.

Is there a purpose to all of this? Is there any purpose for the world’s problems? The birth pains may be tremendous, but the new life that comes after the labour is worth it all. Imagine being united with all believers who ever lived in perfect unity; and being filled by the One who loved us and cleansed us from unrighteousness by the shedding His own blood. Imagine being one with God as Jesus and the Holy Spirit are united; to be accepted in the beloved and enjoy His goodness forever. Scripture states:

• He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things. (Ephesians 4:10),
• …He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (Ephesians 1:20 to 23),
• For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight (Colossians 1:19 to 22).
• Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. (Colossians 2:8 to 10).
• For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (Philippians 3:20 to 21).

His purpose for His creation is to present us to Himself and fill us completely. It’s all about Him. It’s all for Him. It’s not about our here and now. We are just blessed that He appointed us to be in Him. Our duty is to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever; He is worthy of our worship and our praise for there is no other like Him. He is Holy! He is the highest good!

• Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil. (Ecclesiastes 12:13 and 14).
• Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. For “He has put all things under His feet.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all. (1st Corinthians 15:24 to 28).
• “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” (Revelation 22:12 and 13).

If you feel the Holy Spirit encouraging you to believe, you should evaluate the Scripture for yourself. Please visit DESIRINGFRUITFULNESS.CA/CHOICES. There you can find 4 SIMPLE STEPS or concepts to help you ask the LORD to bring you into right standing with Him. The steps are designed to help you know why a prayer of repentance is necessary. It is as simple as acknowledging you are a sinner and believing that Jesus Christ is the risen Son of God. Then you need to obey His Word. There are no “specific words”, but there is a process to coming to faith.

All Scripture used in this blog is from the New King James Version, unless otherwise specified.