GENUINE PROMISES

Some time ago I wrote a Blog post titled Sweet Nothings that described the devil's attempts to lure us into an illicit relationship with him. God is desperate to bring us into relationship with Himself, and to enable us to withstand the devil's lure. In contrast to the sweet nothings that the devil whispers, God makes genuine promises that always manifest.

Bible experts as well as religious leaders seem to have come to a point of fatigue as they daily recant the promises of God, yet have few answers to the question of why the fulfillment of those promises often seem so distant. They have proclaimed the coming kingdom of God for two thousand years, yet our world seems to be spiraling out of control. They speak of Jesus healing the sick and raising the dead, yet every day, they watch others helplessly succumb to various illnesses and diseases, and wonder why the first century miracles fail to manifest today with the same power and clarity.

God says to everyone who is experiencing disappointment, anguish, or fatigue that is directly related to the long-awaited return of our Messiah, "The time for fulfillment has arrived." The signs are all around us, yet many are afraid to acknowledge them for fear of being wrong. A similar dilemma occurred during the September 11, 2001 crisis in New York City when occupants of the World Trade Center twin towers reportedly were told to continue their work activities or to return to their offices because "all is well," even after an airplane had crashed into the first building and burst into flames. The apparent concern for the status quo over the common sense response to a fire may have been directly responsible for the more than three thousand death toll.

The Scriptures warn that, as is now occurring, the condition of our world will deteriorate dramatically just prior to the Messiah's return. The darkness is in part a result of the fact that today's disciples who have been charged with being "the light of the world" either have no light (that is, no indwelling Holy Spirit), or have light that is dimmed by the world's excesses. All of the global dilemmas we encounter will seem minor and insignificant when we shine on them the light of God's Holy Spirit (the common sense response to spiritual darkness) and begin to appropriate the promises stated in the Bible.