Alive.

"There's no stopping it without Jesus."

WE MARVEL at the behaviors in Iran but these are as old as time. It only took one generation for Cain to kill Abel. It only took a short time for all the world to be violent (Genesis 6:11). We've seen this as God’s neglect, when what it shows us clearly is the total disfunction of evil.

The church speaks of "the enemy" in every other breath, blaming him (justly) for the evil around us. He is the first to give into sin. And it claimed him. And it destroyed him, from a glorious angelic being to violence and malevolence that inhabited a snake. He had nothing left then.

Sin, without redemption, the permanent cleansing of God’s hand, was no longer tied down to any ending, save the annihilation of the entire human race. Violence begetting violence (Matthew 26:52). This is why man, dressed as honor, promises repentance, yet his fingers are crossed behind his back. Such is the devilish. Though, as I said, they (devils) are not continually to blame. The behavior in men is the same. Sin causes the same result.

One of the Jews held captive beneath the earth, to dig tunnels for Hamas, was asked if he ever shared any humanity with his captors. Flatly, he said no. Then sighed and remarked he was always asked that and so had to tell a story. Once, he was forced to tote bombs to a location beneath a house. He was not allowed to go up into the house but carried many bombs there. When they'd been placed inside, his captor returned and said the house was for IDF soldiers, and they were going to make him press the button and explode them. The man remarked here that he refused. "Death no longer mattered," he said. They threatened to shoot him in the head. He told them to do it.

As appalling as this is. There is another story of a Catholic priest who had been imprisoned at Auschwitz for protecting Jews. He offered his life for one of them and was taken with others to live in complete darkness and starvation. Time passed and the others all died. Only he was left, and the Nazis tired of hearing his worship and prayers, so they dragged him out and killed him. Merciless hatred of one man for another, descending from the glory of Adam to the lowest place.

Evil births more evil, and there's no stopping it without Jesus. Without the Father, who is greater, and the power of God who is the Spirit, the life and breath of all things. We think death looks broader, has achieved more capacity. We defend ourselves with handmade swords and forget that God has already destroyed Satan, destroyed devils, who cannot do what they once were able (Hebrews 2:14;1 John 3:8). We miss God flooded the earth to save it and poured out Himself amongst a people, who just the other day gathered in their synagogue to pray to their living Moshiach for the president of the United States. Beautiful.

We are wrong to elevate those who choose violence to any level of fear. We're wrong to fear death that God has already proven He's far more than. We're wrong to trust sin and make deals with it in our words and perceptions and thus deny the God of Heaven the peace He's achieved. For here is the bottom line, God is not violent. Sin is. God is patient and kind, gentle and merciful, and without lifting one finger in the wrath which we've pictured, has cleansed the hearts of all who will receive it and declared the end where no one will hurt or cry or pass away, even from old age, anymore.

Fear not. Fear not devils. Fear not violent people. Fear not sickness and disease. Fear not governments nor nations' leaders. Fear not what sin works in the minds of men. Our God is greater, all-powerful, quiet, sustaining, continual, unchanging. Alive.

“And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. And they remembered his words,” (Luke 24:5-8)

Photo by Donald Giannatti on Unsplash


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Suzanne D. Williams, Author
www.suzannedwilliams.com
www.feelgoodromance.com