Your Foundation Is Secure

This week I came across an article posted on the Drudge Report. It was a September 15, 2014 op-ed piece by Roger Cohen entitled, “The Great Unraveling,” published in the New York Times. I was intrigued by the idea of unraveling.

Unraveling conveys the idea of coming apart. The object that always amazed me, as it unraveled with use, was a baseball. The ball as it was first thrown into the game was covered in cream colored leather with red stitching. After being hit enough the thread holding the cover on would begin to unravel and with further use the cover would eventually come off completely.

Our society, like a well-used baseball, seems to be unraveling. What indicates unraveling is taking place?

• It is a time of beheadings. Beheadings filmed and spread worldwide on the internet. The message: We of Islam are coming for all you in your comfortable homes in the West.
• A time of aggression. The world’s largest country takes over part of a neighboring country and then incites a war in order to take over the remainder of that country.
• It is a time of break-ups. The most successful union of nations in history narrowly averted a dissolution. Other break-ups loom in Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, and Germany to name a few.
• It was a time of weakness. The most powerful nation on earth dithered concerning what to do about an existential threat to the Western world.
• It was a time of hatred. Anti-Semitic slogans and attacks becoming more commonplace on the continent where six million Jews were murdered in a most organized way. Apparently “Never again!” seems to have no relevance.
• It was a time of fever. People in West Africa bled from the eyes and nations began to marshal their forces to try to contain the contagion.

These are just a few of the events unfolding at this time. They represent unraveling.

As I read this article, I also happened to be reading through the Psalms. One verse seemed especially applicable to God’s people in a time of unraveling.

The verse Psalm 11:3 “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” In other words, as the world unravels and the foundations, the things in which we might have had confidence, crumble, what are the righteous to do?

The answer is found in the next two verse: Psalm 11:4-5, “The Lord is in His holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous, but the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.” The foundations of the world apart from God may crumble. They have many times. All we have to do is look at Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece or Rome. Their foundations crumbled and they fell.

But God is still in His holy temple on His throne. God’s foundation will never crumble. We can put our confidence in that foundation at all times.

Jesus Christ addressed the issue of foundations in the Sermon on the Mount. He tells us on what foundation we build determines whether we will weather the great unraveling that is now going on.

Matthew 7:24-27, “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

"But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

“If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?” The righteous can build their foundation on the sure foundation of God.

Have a most pleasant Sabbath evening secured in the knowledge that in Christ your foundation is secure.

Gary Smith

But They Shall Dwell Safely

In Memphis, Tennessee a violent attack that was caught on camera — and now, police in Memphis say they have arrested and charged four juveniles.
The attack happened in the parking lot of a Kroger grocery store on Saturday, September 6th.
Fox6’s sister station, Wreg in Memphis reports a 15-year-old has been charged with aggravated riot and acting in concert: to wit aggravated assault.
Wreg reports the teen was out on gun-related charges at the time of the attack. Wreg says the teen wasn’t enrolled in school, and his mother was previously charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Wreg reports a 16-year-old is also charged with aggravated riot, and acting in concert: to wit aggravated assault. A 15-year-old and a 17-year-old are charged with aggravated riot.

“It was nonsense violence. I can say that for sure. It seemed very unprovoked. They weren’t about anything, that it was fun for them. They were out having a good time. They were all smiling they were laughing,” the man said.

Laughing, as they knocked out a 17-year-old Kroger employee — kicking him in the head and throwing large pumpkins on him as he laid on the ground.

The man new to town says several Kroger employees were recording video of the incident — but one man seen at the end of the video knocked out, actually stepped in to defend him and the 17-year-old Kroger employee knocked unconscious.

Most likely a number of us living here in Houston shop at a Kroger store, or at one of the many other grocery stores in our communities. Such an incident, as what happened at this particular Kroger store, should cause us to think carefully about where we shop and areas that we frequent. It should also be a reminder that we need to be aware of our surroundings.

Sadly, assaults, break-ins, car-jacking’s, and thefts are all too common realities in this 21st century. Being aware of these threats certainly leads us to pray for God’s protection not only for ourselves, but also for our families and for God’s people as we all go about our daily lives.

The good news is that there is coming a time when our safety will no longer be uncertain. The prophets give us a couple of reassuring promises concerning safety in the world to come.

Micah 4:4 But everyone shall sit under his vine and under his fig tree, and no one shall make them afraid; For the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken.

How wonderful it will be to sit under our grape arbor or fig tree in the cool of the evening and not be afraid of anyone or anything. We will have confidence in God’s watching over us.

The prophet Ezekiel was also given insight into the safety of God’s Kingdom, “And they shall no longer be a prey for the nations, nor shall beasts of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and no one shall make them afraid.” (Ezekiel 34:28).

Many times, those who assault, steal, and vandalize are like predators looking for the weak and vulnerable to prey upon. Under Christ’s rule, we will dwell safely in our homes and communities and no one will make us afraid.

The Sabbath Day reminds us of the coming Kingdom of God, where peace and safety will abound.

Enjoy a most positive Sabbath Day.

Gary Smith

Living The Dream

Not long after our arrival in Houston, I made a call to one of the members. As the call began, I asked the person how they were doing. The answer was, “living the dream.” I could not help but laugh and I still laugh when I hear those three words. Interestingly, when people ask me, “how’s it going?” and I reply, “living the dream” the result is usually a smile or laugh.

We might ask, “Why would people laugh when they hear the words, ‘living the dream?’” I think it is because most people are not living the dream and they doubt you are really serious. The words are seen to be in jest. In most cases, the words are probably spoken in jest.

But we might ask ourselves, “Are we living the dream?”

Are we living the dream in spite of the chaos, confusion, viciousness, and evil going on in the world? Most people are not living the dream. All too many are living a nightmare.

Consider:

• Are Israelis facing rocket bombardment and every nation around them being dedicated to their destruction, living the dream?
• Are Yazidis and other Iraqis facing beheading and persecution by Isis (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant), living the dream?
• Are those living in parts of Africa where Ebola is taking its toll, living the dream?

The frank fact is there is no end of negative news and life would be pretty dismal if we weren’t truly “living the dream” as God’s people.

• We live the dream because we know the true God and His Son and have an ongoing relationship with them and one another (John 17:20-23).
• We live the dream because Jesus Christ is at work in us bringing us to perfection (Colossians 1:27).
• We live the dream because we know the goal and purpose for living. It is a prize well worth striving for (Philippians 3:12-14).

When we hear the words, “living the dream”, we may smile, but we might ask ourselves are we?

Have most pleasant Sabbath evening.

Gary Smith