Finding Hope When The Wicked Increase

The world seems to be in chaos with terrorist attacks, blatant immorality and scorn for those who don't accept it, many people murdered every day (and some of it government approved), open rebellion to God, and the political and judicial landscape is looking very bleak indeed.

Christians are being killed, imprisoned, fined, and ostracized around the globe.
It seems like terrible things are happening more and more frequently, and it's easy for people (even Christians) to get anxious and discouraged though we shouldn't.

It is okay to have righteous anger, but it isn't okay to sin in our anger.

It's okay to plead our cause, but it's not okay to disobey God in how we do it.

Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a disgrace to any people.  Proverbs 14:34 NASB

When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, But when a wicked man rules, people groan.  Proverbs 29:2 NASB

When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.  Proverbs 28:12 NASB

The wicked plots against the righteous And gnashes at him with his teeth. The Lord laughs at him, For He sees his day is coming.  Psalm 37:12-13 NASB  

Psalm 37 has a lot of encouraging verses...about not fretting about the evildoers...even those who are violent  (Psalm 37:7-10).

God will bring salvation to the righteous and will be their strength.
God will bring about justice, and those who are His will be preserved forever.
The wicked will be cut off.

Our soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.  For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name.  Psalm 33:20-21

In the New Testament, we are even encouraged to rejoice in our suffering and in persecution  (Matthew 5:11-12 ; Romans 5:3 ).

Jesus caused the blind to see and the deaf to hear, and one day there will be increased rejoicing of the afflicted.  While we see wrong decisions made by judges and courts in this world, God will bring about perfect justice and vindicate His true children.

And on that day the deaf shall hear words of a book, And out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.  The afflicted also shall increase their gladness in the LORD, And the needy of mankind shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.  For the ruthless will come to an end, and the scorner will be finished, Indeed all who are intent on doing evil will be cut off; Who cause a person to be indicted by a word, And ensnare him who adjudicates at the gate, And defraud the one in the right with meaningless arguments.   Isaiah 29:18-21 NASB

If not for God's mercy in sending Christ to die for the sins of those who repent and believe the Gospel, all would be condemned.
If it wasn't for Christ's righteousness placed on believers, our sin would condemn us still.   Because we still struggle with sin, we still need to confess sins (Psalm 38 ; 1 John 1:9).

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;  Ephesians 2:8 NASB

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,  Romans 5:1 NASB

While there is time, the lost need to hear the Gospel, and God is still saving those He has chosen from before the beginning of the world.

This post is for me as well as for those who may be encouraged by it.
As someone who is struggling with feeling down, I need to constantly feed on Scriptural truth.  There is hope in no one but the Lord.

Home Buying & Repair - Favorite Links

If you are looking to buy a home in the U.S., I've done quite a bit of research recently that might help you.

1. The most up-to-date site realtors use is Realtor.com

2. A site that gives estimates of home values and includes some for sale by owner listings is Zillow.com

3. Neighborhood crime and safety is important to look into when buying a house as well. Trulia.com will let you know about the crime levels around a particular house.

4.  To find out city information USA.com has some helpful statistics.

5. I found a lot of helpful information about issues with houses on one site (like old houses, inspection, life expectancy for things in the home, electricity, etc., etc.)
Some information is just for Florida, but much of it is not.  http://www.mcgarryandmadsen.com/inspection/Blog/Blog.html

6.  There are 3 cost estimating sites for things that might need fixing in a house that I found very helpful.

Home Advisor 
HomeWyse 
Cost Helper 

Terrorism In Orlando - Are People Hearing The Truth?

50 lives taken and 53 wounded in Orlando, Florida.   

Numbers may change, but the evil of it won't.

The murderer reportedly was a 29 year old American Muslim of Afghani parentage.

The place?  A "gay" club.

Islam is a false religion that rejects the God of Scripture.  

It denies the Deity of Christ, and His death and resurrection (which are clearly taught in Scripture).   It is a religion of works.

It relies on the revised words of a man named Muhammad who claimed to be a prophet, but yet God cannot contradict Himself,  and so we know that whatever contradicts the Bible is not true.

Whoever is trusting in any way in their good works will not go to Paradise or Heaven.

Homosexuality is one of many sins.  

All sin is deserving of Hell (lying, coveting, stealing, immorality, idolatry, murder, etc.)  

When people reject the true God of the Bible, they are given over to sin as a form of judgment.

All people will face the same Judge on judgment day.

Only those who trust in Christ's sacrifice for sin will have Christ's righteousness placed on them, and their sins having been atoned for.

So, the mass murderer who worships a false god will be sentenced even after death.

Yet, we can be sad about what the murderer in Orlando chose to do.

The people at the club (and I don't know what all they were), also will come before the same God.

This is sad, unless people repented and trusted Christ before they were murdered.

Did any of these people ever hear the truth?  Were they warned about what happens after death?

I don't know.  What about the ones who are still alive?  Who is telling them the truth?

God created the Heavens and the earth perfect, but mankind sinned and death was passed on to all men.  All have sinned and fall short of God's glory.  God chose a people for Himself, and He set up a system whereby people who had faith in Him were able to have animals sacrificed and have their transgressions cleansed.  He gave them the Law which pointed out what sin was.

Yet, nobody was able to perfectly keep the Law, and so a better more perfect sacrifice was planned and necessary.

God is Sovereign, and He had it all planned out.  Men of old prophesied about the coming Christ.

Jesus....fully God and fully man....the perfect Son of God and sacrifice Lamb, was born of a virgin as prophesied of old, and He lived a sinless life.  He perfectly obeyed.  He was a representative of man, so that He could save men.   He died willingly taking the punishment of sins for everyone who would ever believe, and since He was also God, death could not hold Him.  He rose from the grave.  He conquered sin and death, and He sat down at the right hand of God the Father, and He will judge the world.

The only way for anybody to be saved from sin and eternity in Hell (where the worm will never died, there will be fire, and weeping, and gnashing of teeth), is to repent and turn from sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.  Those who trust in Him will not be disappointed, and they will pass from death to life.  They are adopted and will spend eternity serving happily the One who loved and rescued them.  Yet, only His sheep will hear His voice.  If this message resonates with you, please let me know.   It doesn't matter the background of your past.   Please look to Christ and live.

If you are a Christian, please share this.

Deep Valleys & Abortion Clinic Evangelism

This past Sunday we visited a church in another city.
It was a blessing to be able to hear a good sermon in person (though our Sunday School teacher was a Biblical teacher as well).

I have been feeling very low lately.   It is so very hard, but I know Christ is my only hope no matter the valleys.   Sometimes it seems it would be impossible to feel any lower.
Through my tears and struggles, I have to believe that God still loves me though I know it's undeserved.

I desperately want to love and trust and obey God more without rebellious feelings, doubts, and with the endless hope and assurance.
Yet, even Christians can go through low times, and so I have been encouraged that I will get through. God won't let me go.  He promised, and the fact that I want Him so much is a good sign.

I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord
In the land of the living.
Psalm 27:13



HELP WITH EVANGELISM TRAINING & SAVING BABIES
Pastor Chuck O'Neal is trying to get money to help train people for abortion clinic ministry and evangelism at the Biblical Church Evangelism Conference in Oregon this August.
There are t-shirts you may be able to get to help fund it HERE.