Reality in Rio. A life changed, a call to pray

4 08 2016

As the Olympics unfold in Rio, consider this story of hope from the underworld of that city.





The day God ran out of patience

2 08 2016

thunder lightningOne day, God’s patience snapped. It began as a clap of thunder in the distance. His discontent rumbled over the hills of villainy, sending forth the first warning shots that His silence would soon cease.

The ocean began to swell, turning the deep green water into white foam, reflecting the Almighty’s building fury. The winds picked up the tempo as they began to howl, building into gale force, breaking into the bellowing roar of divine indignation. God was fed up with the captivity of souls, sick and tired of the despicable prince’s pompous rule.

The roofs and shutters of the Land of Wrath lost their grip and sailed uncontrollably into the wind, exposing dismal hovels of fear. Then the earth began to shake, and the foundations of the mountains trembled, shaking with God’s burning rage.

Smoke rose from His nostrils and consuming fire burst forth from His mouth. He split the heavens because the perishing cried out; He came to rescue those entangled in the snares of death. From His Sanctuary, He heard their wail of distress.

So He mounted the cherubim and soared on the wings of the wind. He made darkness his hiding place, the sky’s dark rain clouds His canopy. Out of the brightness of His presence, the clouds advanced over the dreary land, hail-stones and bolts of lightning emissaries of the infuriated King. The Lord thundered from heaven, the voice of the Most High roared. He shot His arrows into the lewd oppression and scattered the devilish minions in a thousand directions. He threw great bolts of lightning and routed the hierarchy of hate. The valleys of the sea were exposed, and the foundations of the earth laid bare at the Lord’s rebuke, at the blast of breath from His nostrils.

Yes, the God of love could bear the sight no longer. He could no longer endure the pain. He had to rescue the people brought forth from His yearning arms, the family He created for holiness.

And so He rose that day in vindication so righteous as to be virtuous. He rose against the devastation and waste. He rose in disgust at the culture of filth, His blood running hot with rage over the crippling depravity. He rose to crush the skull of the vile rebel who had deceived His creation, and with flaming eyes and fuming anger, with clenched fists raised toward heaven, with holy sandals planted squarely on the sludge of deception’s kingdom, God lifted His thunderous voice and shook the rafters of rottenness. His glaring eyes pierced right through the lion, and with words sharpened like a saber, God challenged His enemy to the duel of the ages: “Meet me at Golgotha!”


Excerpt from Safe In His Sanctuary (pp.83-84), by Robert E Rasmussen

photo credit: agatelady.blogspot.com





Jesus is the good news that each person needs to hear.

27 07 2016

I love the incident in which Jesus returns to his home town synagogue and is invited to read a scripture. He opens to Isaiah and reads a messianic passage — to the effect that the messiah would give good news to the poor, heal the broken hearted, proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind, liberty for the oppressed, and the year of the Lord’s favor.

In other words, the messiah was full of good news.

Then Jesus said he was that messiah.

Jesus is the good news that each person needs to hear. Many today will say that Jesus is the only one who could deliver them from addiction, or the only one who healed their marriage.  Jesus was the only one who got the kids back, or the only one who healed from tragedy. Jesus was the only one who kept him sane after loss of a child, who got her through a chronic illness.

Hopefully people will hang with Jesus long enough for him to say, “You know, the good news you truly need is forgiveness of all your sins, that you may stay with me forever.”  And that’s gospel.

(Leave a comment would you? How has Jesus been good news to you?)

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