Council Grove Christian Church

Servants of God,

“Thus says the LORD:
 ‘Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is;
and walk in it, and find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’”
-Jeremiah 6:16

 
We live in interesting times. Most of us, at least in the Western world, live in the lap of luxury. No dirt floors or wood fires to cook on; No back breaking labor; No constant worry about feeding the baby or paying the basic bills. We may not have all we want, but most of us have far more than we need. So why are we, in general, so unhappy and anxious? Is it not because we do not sense that we live in a secure situation and we are not sure how to navigate properly in a time of what appears to be constant turmoil and upheaval?  

We live in a time of information overload. Technology, at ever-increasing speed, floods us with more information than we can process. The computer or cell phone we are so enthralled with today is too slow and too incapable six months later. There seems to be a new war somewhere in the world about every thirty minutes. There is a new drug or a new diet or a new magical cure every time we watch or listen to a commercial on the “device of our choice.”  There are riots in the streets and drag queens in the libraries. Who can hope to keep up with that kind of a world?

Little wonder that depression, frustration and even suicide have become common place. The more communication we have, the more people seem to be sad, lonely and angry. Confusion and disappointment rule while clarity and understanding go begging. Even in our churches there is frustration. The hot pursuit of the newest gimmick or program has not led to spiritual awakening of the lost or revival of the saved.

The scriptures are full of peace and understanding for our time if we will heed. In the day of the prophet Jeremiah, God’s covenant people were floundering spiritually. Disaster in the form of the Babylonian empire was at their door. God, through His prophet, brought them the answer. They refused. They concluded that going back to the basics of trusting and obeying God was ridiculous. They could find a better way by leaning on their own understanding.

American Christians are a nation within a nation. Our truest and highest allegiance must be to Jesus. Of course, we want to be good citizens but our real citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). The answer to danger and disaster in Jeremiah’s day was to return to the “ancient paths.” In God’s economy, the freshest and most relevant way to live is to be rooted in ancient truth. Trusting God and diligently seeking to live under the authority and for the glory of God is always best. The idea that God’s way is outdated is a damning lie. God’s way, like his mercies, is new every morning! There is fresh spiritual bread and living water for the taking. The catch is, we must come and receive it—daily. God’s sovereign rule of the universe is secure and his providential care for us is both personal and meaningful in the grand scheme of the universe. Christians must not chase after a world gone mad. We must call that sin-crazed world back to God. We must keep in our minds the Creation-Fall-Redemption-Restoration paradigm for understanding human history and our own lives.

Donald Trump urges us to be part of making America Great Again! If that can be done in a righteous manner, I am all for it! More importantly, God assures us that his divine plan is to make the universe great again (without sin and death) and that, in his mercy, he has made a way for us to be a meaningful part of that grand work.

If we view life through the lens of the Bible, we will understand that the information in the Epstein files will ultimately be exposed. Nothing escapes God’s judgment. All the liars and perverts will get their due. All the deception of dishonest politicians or business men or abusive parents will be dealt with justly. Those who choose the hard right rather than the easy wrong will be vindicated. Christians cannot panic. We pray and we work in the power of the Holy Spirit. We know that our heavenly Father knows best and that his redeeming love demonstrated on the cross of Christ is precursor to his full and breath-takingly wonderful restoration of the universe in his own time and way.

In the meantime, we must return daily to the ancient paths and call the lost world to the foot of the cross to receive mercy and pardon.

Blessings,

Pastor John

Coram Deo