Good Morning Friends,
There are the good, the bad and ugly… Republican and Democrats… Baptists…Presbyterians… Catholics…Vikings…Patriots…Chargers… Cowboys and Steelers.
There are those who root for Ohio State and those who root for Michigan. In today’s text we look at rivalries. Sibling rivalries as well as internal conflicts and consider when we are to walk away and when we are to engage and with whom we are to engage given that God’s grace is poured out on them all. There are lots of battle stories in the Bible, but none
has caught the imagination of people like Armageddon… a war no one can just walk away from. Every war or threat of war always raises the awesome image of Armageddon. Friends, as we embark on the Fourth of July weekend this year, in consideration of our own history, there are lots of little battle lines and drama developing for the final battle. There are even flocks of sheep grazing and packs of wolves lurking. You will have to choose a side. And if things get desperate as they might indeed become, I hope you will consider that it is not desperate measures that will be needed but dependent ones, even as we begin our celebration of what we have called Independence Day. The question remains, To Whom Will You Belong?
Scripture: When Israel set out on his journey with all that he had and came to Beer-sheba, he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. God spoke to Israel in visions of the night, and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father; do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again; and Joseph’s own hand shall close your eyes.” Then Jacob set out from Beer-sheba; and the sons of Israel carried their father Jacob, their little ones, and their wives, in the wagons that Pharaoh had sent to carry him. They also took their livestock and the goods that they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and they came into Egypt, Jacob and all his offspring with him, his sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters, and his sons’ daughters; all his offspring he brought with him into Egypt. Israel sent Judah ahead to Joseph to lead the way before him into Goshen. When they came to the land of Goshen, Joseph made ready his chariot and went up to meet his father Israel in Goshen. He presented himself to him, fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while. Israel said to Joseph, “I can die now, having seen for myself that you are still alive.”
Genesis 46:1-7, 28-30 (NRSV)
“See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. Beware of them, for they will hand you over to councils and flog you in their synagogues; and you will be dragged before governors and kings because of me, as a testimony to them and the Gentiles. When they hand you over, do not worry about how you are to speak or what you are to say; for what you are to say will be given to you at that time; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death; and you will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next; for truly I tell you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.
Matthew 10:16-23 (NRSV)
These are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty. (“See, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and is clothed, not going about naked and exposed to shame.”) And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Harmagedon.
Revelation 16:14-16 (NRSV)
Take words with you and return to the Lord; say to him, “Take away all guilt; accept that which is good, and we will offer the fruit of our lips. Assyria shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses; we will say no more, ‘Our God,’ to the work of our hands. In you the orphan finds mercy.” I will heal their disloyalty; I will love them freely, for my anger has turned from them. I will be like the dew to Israel; he shall blossom like the lily, he shall strike root like the forests of Lebanon. His shoots shall spread out; his beauty shall be like the olive tree, and his fragrance like that of Lebanon. They shall again live beneath my shadow, they shall flourish as a garden; they shall blossom like the vine, their fragrance shall be like the wine of Lebanon. O Ephraim, what have I to do with idols? It is I who answer and look after you. I am like an evergreen cypress; your faithfulness comes from me. Those who are wise understand these things; those who are discerning know them. For the ways of the Lord are right, and the upright walk in them, but transgressors stumble in them.
Hosea 14:2-10 (NRSV)
Message: Two leaders will lead their respective groups…the Body of Christ and the body of the Antichrist. It is the prophesied drama that two armies shall meet at Armageddon…a mysterious word and place referred to only once in the Bible. And it is here that Christ shall lead the redeemed, the Body of Christ, and the Antichrist shall stir up the host of this fallen earth to follow in a plan of death and destruction. It has always been a battle between good and evil. For every Cain, there is an Abel. For every Pharaoh, there is a Moses. For every Ahab, there is an Elijah. For every Herod, there is a John the Baptist. For every Nero, there is a Paul. Always it is the believer facing unbelievers, the justified and the unjustified, the saved and the unsaved, the redeemed and the lost. But there are also a lot of things that are not so clear cut. The world is filled with lies but also grace. We must be smart. We must be sane. People will pretend to be godly leaders appointed by Christ and will even infiltrate and destroy the flock. So, listen. The more recognizable you become as one of Christ’s sheep, the greater the likelihood that you will be called to give a witness before powerful wolves who are distressed by the message we are to carry. Now imagine you are one of the disciples being sent out on a mission. You have on multiple occasions, seen enraged men incite mobs to kill Jesus and somehow, up until now, in the story, they came away empty-handed marveling at Jesus. Now, Jesus said He was sending the disciples out. No doubt the disciples may have been ready for a fight. Perhaps they imagined themselves terrifying those who were opposed to righteousness. Perhaps the disciples thought they would be enabled to call down fire from Heaven to consume the enemies of God. But do not expect this to be easy. If we serve the right side of this battle, we will face the attack of fierce wolves. And we like sheep may appear helpless, but we must always remember that we have a Shepherd. The sheep for the flock has a strong defender in Christ. We are to refuse to be anxious. We are to trust God. We are to know with all our being that we serve a God who is too wise to make a mistake in choosing us and too good to needlessly hurt His own children. But regardless, wolves are going to do what wolves do. Wolves are going to attack. We need to be ready and belong to the right side in the battle to come…the one that matters.
And So, realize that victory is in Jesus and that our identity in Christ is very important. You see, how we define ourselves is important and can divide us if we are not wise. So be on your guard and do not be deceived by the evil of the world. Know that persecution may prompt you to leave places you hoped to save. But also, do not worry for the Spirit will speak and act through you when the time comes. Whatever plans you have made may have to change. Regardless, stand firm in the faith and ultimately you will be saved. Know that who you follow defines you so know the difference between following a messenger of God and God. Know the difference between idols and the real thing. Know our freedom is so that we might worship God.
Pray we refuse to be anxious. Pray we trust God. Pray we are wise in our interactions. Pray we are counted among the redeemed of Christ. Pray we realize that we are in a battle between good and evil. Pray we realize that we need to be strategic. Pray we walk in righteous ways. Pray we do not stumble. Pray we are wise and courageous. Pray we reap the benefits of a disciplined life. Pray we are not victims and prey in a world of wolves. Pray we realize that the Kingdom…the Body that will prevail in the future will ultimately not be of this world. Pray we understand the nature of a battle with words and one with swords. Pray we believe in what we fight for. Pray we realize that in the end God will rule. Pray we remember to whom we belong. Pray we have the right focus. Pray we love God.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 