Great and Terrible is the Day of The Lord

It's been on my mind recently that when I write about God I tend to contrast two things. His great love and it's indomitable wrath. In fact, one of the names of my songs is that "Wrath". I released it awhile ago, but pulled it back because it wasn't quite right.

It was making me wonder how much I should focus on a thing; or was it that it's such a sharp contrast from what I see in the Christian music scene today. There's a lot of God is Holy, God is Great...Lift Up Your Face...all that is wonderful. Praise God that we sing about the attributes of God. For it is in that, that we find eternal joy. It is the chief end of man to worship God and enjoy that forever. I can remember when that idea would seem like a 'good idea' that I should think about *sometime, rather than food for my stomach.

In my perception, God's love is so great and to be greatly appreciated because his wrath is real! His wrath is revealed in sin and in sickness and disease and destruction and mayhem. And that, is just the first table of wrath. For a day has been fixed when he will pronounce final judgement and the wicked will eat from the second table of wrath and judgement. 

I sing about wrath for now because it's what I was most blind to. And in God's wisdom, he's using that attribute to reveal himself to me...that in my apostasy, he shows me a revelation of how he plans to use me. My sinful attributes and wicked condition are the exact inverse and valued in his kingdom inversely proportional. That is to say, that he uses me to seek out immature Christians and challenge them to grow. And apostate christians and challenge them to grow and turn back. Why? Because that's what I was. By God's long-suffering, everlasting kindness and totally unmerited favor, I've been bestowed the riches of his grace.

 

As Habakkuk the prophet says;

Though the fig tree produce no fruit, though the olive not be yielded, the fields have no crop, the herds not have any produce and the stalls be empty, I will trust in the God of my salvation...He has caused me to walk in high places!

Lo, we walk into such a time as this...I will trust, as my Father's Grace allows, and I will live by faith, inasmuch as I've been called by my Father to be righteous, set apart, holy and made one with him.

May you, by the hearing of the word of God be convicted and rise to a desire to serve him, which is only His doing...but that he might be gloried. Confess with your mouth and believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is Lord!

Why I Am Thankful

• I didn't have to register with the national church of China so that I could freely worship God (China)
• I wasn't tried or convicted of being an illegal Christian (though,I don't resist the possibility) (China)
• My wife wasn't raped, nor my children brutalized because I proclaim the gospel of Messiah (India/Pakistan)
• I wasn't stoned to death for being a Christian (Iran)
• I'm free to make mistakes and be set right by my creator (USA)
• I have the freedom of religion rather than the freedom of belief (Russia)
• Even amongst my peers, I can endure what little persecution I suffer and in Joy proclaim the gladness of my heart, that I am in Christ, He's in the Father, and we are ONE.
• I'm thankful that I have the knowledge of God, that he teaches me His laws, His ordinances and precepts. That in spite of all persecution, no man can take what the Father has given. The most man can remove from me is my physical life.

So, as you approach tomorrow; don't think about what you need, think about what you can give to others. 

Peace, Love, Charity, Joy, Patience, Endurance, Long-Suffering, Loving-Kindness...

 

No Man on this Earth has suffered so greatly that he cannot bear to give instead of receive. Be like Christ, give of your love and you shall receive.

Imagine, by John Lennon: Covered By Joshua Barnes

I find this song to be the exact description in parallel language to the realities the human condition. This song is emblematic of the cognitive dissonance that has overtaken us; and most powerfully so, in song.

Imagine there is no heaven;

The opening line; he openly declares war on God. But, for a moment, let's assume he doesn't mean exactly what he says. Let's imagine there is no heaven for a second. What would this mean to humanity?

1. You have no purpose.
2. No Reward
3. No life after life
4. No place of peace and serenity that you'll ever experience other than the fluttering of a day gone by.

Imagining there's no heaven is not looking good so far.

It's easy if you try;

He's got that right.

No hell below us, above us only sky

It is interesting to me that he didn't start by removing the punishment aspect of a deistic view of the world, he chose rather to remove the reward. Of course, this makes sense that if you're too remove loving kindness, mercy and righteousness, you must also remove authority, judgement and penalty.

Imagine all the people, living for today

This is such a pretty song. It's too bad it's pure fecal matter. People do live for today, that's the problem. I choose to live for today when;

1. We say there is no God
2. We prioritize our own ego over someone else's
3. When we murder
4. When we steal
5. When we covet
6. When we lie
7. When we prefer pleasure over discipline
8. When we don't train our children
9. When we have sex without any fear of consequence
10. When we don't live up to our obligations
11. When we are prideful

Sweet Lord, when he wrote this song, who exactly is he talking about? We all live for today.

Imagine there's no countries

 

Yes, no countries like Great Britain or America, where you're allowed to express yourself in song, though fecal oriented, expression none-the-less, free of repression from the country that you don't want.

Nothing to kill or die for

Ok, finally we start hitting something that makes sense, but it's connected with something that doesn't, so I can only assume complete and utter confusion.

I agree, I wish we didn't kill. And that killing was so repulsive, but to equate that with the idea that there should be nothing that we would be willing to die for?

You mean your child or your wife, or your beliefs are so unimportant that they are not worth dying for? Imagine...this is the people he wants to see. And it's not that big of a surprise to me...he believes there is no God and no penalty for his belief. Now, don't you want to imagine all of this with him? Ain't it great?

No posessions

No greed or hunger

sharing all of the world;

 

So it takes him to the end of the song to get to the part he should have started with. A love of mankind that is without warrant. This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet John Lennon, crucified Christ in song so that he could have his reality. Imagine all the people, killing as one, Jesus Christ, so they could have what he offers.

This is the condition of the human heart apart from God.