Like many, I have grieved over the recent horrific attacks within our country over the last few weeks… children killed at a Catholic School… Charlie Kirk, an outspoken bearer of the Gospel, gunned down… a young woman fleeing a war-torn home senselessly stabbed to death on a bus in a country where she sought refuge. “O God in Heaven, our world is so broken and we desperately need to repent and turn to You.”
On Thursday, I saw someone ranting about these recent events on a social media platform claiming that the divisiveness we have cultivated in our society is the cause of these evil atrocities. “Until we can stop being so divided and come together in unity we will never solve these problems. It will take us… All of us to solve this hate and discord.” She said. What did she really mean? We need to all agree about everything in society for peace to exist.
Respectfully, she couldn’t be more wrong. The divisiveness, hate and the devaluing of life in our society cannot be solved by Human endeavors — it never has throughout all of History — no matter how noble those endeavors may be. Only God can work the type of miracle needed to end the sinful, despicable abuse Humanity brings upon itself. Only the “God of Peace” can bring that kind of unity.
He will one day, you know. There is coming a day when God will declare an end to this sin cursed world when HE, and HE alone, will bring judgement and instill order. His perfect design of order.
As we finish our series, The Hope Of Jesus Coming Back, I find myself hoping that Jesus’ return is soon. I find myself longing to be free from the curse of sin. I find myself longing to be ever-present with the loving, creator God who will one
day restore all of His creation as an expression of His glory. “O Lord, Jesus, come quickly!”
There is a powerful scene in the Lord Of The Rings series where Frodo and Samwise Gamgee are huddled on the side of Mount Doom after destroying the ring of power. The mountain is exploding around them… lava flows in rushing streams… the evil country of Mordor is literally consuming itself in fire and destruction. They are staring at the end of their lives. And Frodo said, “I am glad to be with you Samwise Gamgee… here at the end of all things.”
But the real beauty of the story is… Frodo and Samwise were NOT at “the end of all things”. It seemed like it to them at the time, but they were simply witnessing the end of a cursed, evil land. (By the way, the movie totally butchered this wonderful revelation… so… read the book.) And it wasn’t “the end of all things” because the King had returned. The King would establish his kingdom and good, order and peace for all peoples would be known evermore. Hmmm… I wonder where Tolken got that idea?
Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God, ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Revelation 21:1-5 NIV
“Yes, Lord Jesus, come quickly!”
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