Tuesday, September 11, 2018

PERSPECTIVE: BE A RIVER OF LIFE

Most people’s point of reference begins from the day they were born and then become aware of their immediate surroundings.  For the majority of mankind, who are not even aware of historical events and key milestones, all that matters is the here and now. Sadly very few even consider their future, on earth and beyond.

So is it with matters of the soul.  One thing the world’s systems have succeeded in is not just removing the Bible and moral teaching from daily life, but they have removed critical thinking from the last three generations of young people, and counting.  However it is more than the inability to think of anything at all, it is the corruption which culture and poor-on-purpose education has wrought on entire people groups, over the last 55 plus years.

Those who are wise, already know that the leaders of entertainment hate the one true God, substitute Him with ungodly idolatry and have slowly boiled the frog to convince the majority of youth to believe either in nothing or a combination of nothing. This combined with a horrible liberal education system, which indoctrinates rather than educates or grows minds to fruitful, happy thinkers, has given us an increasing number of people called "nones". Nones are the fastest growing demographic in America, in that, they represent a rapid growth of people who believe in absolutely nothing at all. Faith brings hope. Lack of hope therefore, results in the opposite.

If you are looking for the root cause of the rampant hopelessness among the majority of the population under the age of fifty, these are the main ingredients: culture and indoctrination rather than STEM education (STEM being: Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). But church leaders are not guiltless in any of this. Almost every western church – from Europe to North America and Australia – has failed the Great Commission. The first part of this Final Instruction from the Risen Lord as He ascended back to Heaven was “Go make Disciples”. (A disciple is defined as a follower or student of a teacher, leader, or philosopher).

There is no shortage of study, facts and evidence of what has gone wrong.  One thing is apparent, however, and it is that the vast majority of the lost (the wider population) and even weak professing Christians, do not know God, His Word or His Ways.

It is so wonderful to watch the eyes of a baby, toddler or child under the age of 10, who discovers the wonders of Creation all around them. Whether it is a caterpillar changing to a butterfly; or a loving pet snuggling up to a four year old playing with building blocks; or an 11 year old catching his first fish at the lake, Life is new exciting, and full of so much potential. It truly is beautiful thing. Here is where Life begins and all the child and young person can see, is what they have right before them.

It is incumbent upon those of us who are charged with shepharding the young, and those who will come after us,  to pass on the Knowledge of the Ages, which we were taught growing up.  God expects parents and those of us who know better, to share the Truth about Him- Truthfully. This includes the Truth about the meaning, purpose and ways of God, as much as we are capable.

The Mississippi River at St. Louis, Missouri
One thing which a child could notice, who has been properly educated at both home, school and/or home-school are the wonders of rivers. Ecclesiastes 1:7  tells us that “all the rivers flow into the sea, yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, they flow again”. This is a perfect observation. For example, when the snow melts at the top of the Mississippi River in the great winter wonderland of northern Minnesota, and flows into the 1.7 square mile Lake Itasca, most people never connect it to being the very start of the Great and Fabled Mississippi River.

This River then picks up steam, width, depth and more and gets bigger as it
The Biblical Rivers Tigris & Euphrates still exist
begins its 2320 mile journey down to the Gulf of Mexico. Then, all that water, pours into the Gulf. Yet, it never overflows. It is the same with every other river, worldwide. The Tigris and Euphrates are the two Rivers from Creation and the Garden of Eden (see Genesis 2:10-14). They bob and weave, even now, all over the land of the Bible, growing in massive water volume, yet when they empty into the Persian Gulf as one – the Euphrates – that Gulf never overflows. 


Or how about the winds? Where do they originate and to where are they going? Even the best meteorologists are unable to answer these questions.  These items plus the futility of trying to change things we have absolutely no control over. This includes so-called “climate change”, which is a prideful heresy, against the Power and Control of the Lord.

The complete and unquestionable Sovereignty of God remains in place, in this timeless, seamless story where only the personnel changes. Human beings during the time of King Solomon, who wrote the Book of Ecclesiastes over 2900 years ago, are the same as those being born in 2018.  Environment conditions and circumstances are obviously different, but the Plans and Ways of the Lord remain constant.

What was always will be. The entire book of Ecclesiastes describes the human condition from birth to death and all the turns, times and turbulence of life. However one thing remains true, and it is that God sees all. He will bring all to justice one day. Each generation will stand in the bright lights with our peers of our generation to account for our time here on earth.

While there is still time, we should be diligent to be aware of our Creator and His Law planted in the hearts of all who have ever lived.  The time to learn from History is now. The time to observe His ways in His creation is now. The time for our redemption is also now. Do not waver, hesitate or procrastinate. Tomorrow is never promised. In the meantime, roll on like the Mighty Mississippi and let your life be a testimony flowing into the Gulf of humanity, in all our immediate communities. Finally, may our lives be a River, through which the very life of Jesus Christ flows through us, to bless and improve the lives of others in our own families and communities.

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