The Debate is Over

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"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. "              - 1 Corinthians 13:1

The global stage is large and many have taken the steps across the pages of our mind with opinions, statements and proclamations.  Some have been based on fact and truth and others have been completely contrived in the minds of those seeking attention and glory.  In the internet age, we have a world full of noisy gongs and clanging cymbals; as individuals use every form of communication available to get their perspective in front of the masses.  Where does one draw the line though?  When did truth and facts become replaced by ideology and innuendo?  At what point did we cross over to accepting and tolerating everything being said as if it were truth? 
 
 

STOA ATTALOS, Athens, Greece (2004)

In ancient Greece the stoics would sit along the STOA ATTALOS (Greek: ETOA ATTAΛOY) in the shadows of the Parthenon in Athens and have philosophical debates.  In this environment, in that setting, we would find Plato, Aristotle and other philosophers questioning the meaning of life, the existence of mankind and the gods of the universe.  Their debates weren’t covered on CNN or FoxNews and blogged around the world as if they were fact or truth.  They were very intelligent men debating the essence of humanity while accepting that there were infinite answers to their questions.  Their ability to challenge the thinking of mankind, based on their personal opinion was a catalyst for thinking outside the box, and without limitations. 

In Acts 17:16-34, we find Paul the Apostle in Athens, debating the philosophers and Stoics of that time on their gods vs. the God, “Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, "What does this babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods," because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.” (v.18)  Paul went on to challenge the gods and idols of their worship – “…I even found an alter with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.  Therefore, the one you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you.”  (v.23)  He then proceeded to explain of Jesus Christ, God who loved us so much that He came as a man, suffered, died and rose again from the grave, and will one day return to judge mankind. 

As stoics and philosophers it was difficult for them to accept on faith that Jesus was God and that this God loved them.  Everything they had debated for centuries had pointed toward gods of the sun, the fire, the wind, nature, love, fertility and so on and so on.  For them to accept that there was only one God and He offered salvation for them to join Him in eternity was so outside the box, that it was unacceptable to most of that day.  We struggle with the same philosophy today.  Is God real and does He truly love me enough to forgive my transgressions and allow me to spend eternity with Him in heaven?  The answer is absolutely yes.  Jesus came for that purpose and that purpose only, to create a way for you to be redeemed and enjoy the fruits of salvation with God the Father.  Other’s will debate it the rest of their lives, and one day realize the error of their ways.  Quit listening to the resounding gongs and cymbals and accept the truth that is given through the Holy Bible, God’s word.

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
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God, We Need You

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“Ah, Sovereign LORD, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” – Jeremiah 32:17

Look around you at the calamity, the pain, hurt and depression around the globe.  Watch the news and see the devastation in countries far and wide – the wars, the economic unrest, the hatred between people of different cultures and ethnicity.  As you sit with your cup of coffee in the morning and jump on Facebook or e-mail or read the morning paper, observe the seriousness of the problems facing this global society.  Now, look at our leaders in every nation, political body, corporation and Province and ask yourself this one very basic question:
     “Do I trust that they know what they’re doing and will be able to pull us out of this mess?” 

You can’t sit on the sidelines and wait for someone to jump in and “save” us all from the downward spiral we have started on.  This is not the time to sit back and observe.  Your life today is not the same as it was 5 years ago, 10 years ago or 20 for that matter.  The world has changed dramatically, not because of any one event, but a culmination of things that when connected over a period of 20 years have brought us to a point of apathy and self preservation.  We look out for ourselves and hope that someone else is looking out for the world’s issues.  We hear the news, but don’t react.  The unbelievable economic melt down on a global basis has never been so prominent at the same time before.  It’s not an American problem, Greece problem, China problem, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Korea, Syria, Turkey, Egypt, Libya or Israel problem.  The problems are extremely complex and impact all of us as our lives are so intertwined and connected in this 21st century world.  The reality is that the smartest men in the smartest business schools and the wisest of the wise don’t have answers this time around. If you pull a piece of thread in one country to solve the problem there, it is unraveling a dependency 5000 miles away in another country, which in turn reacts and begins a domino effect across the globe.

 I no longer trust in man to solve these problems.  Presidents, Prime Ministers, Dictators, Generals, Parliament, Congress, PhD’s and Professors and so on are not consistently cognizant of the ever present sovereignty of God Almighty and His plan for this world.  I don’t have answers or even an inkling of understanding of the idiosyncrasies and dependencies of how we are woven together on a global scale.  What I do have though is a faith in God above that He knows it all.  He is sovereign and in His own way knows exactly how everything is connected in His overall plan.  I do believe He has a plan, and perhaps that plan, as it was in many Old Testament references, is to allow us to reach the point of destruction and devastation that we will turn back to Him.  As long as our leaders continue to try and solve these global problems independent of the Lord’s will, calamity and strife will continue to escalate. 

If you are waiting for someone to step up and save this world with their brilliance, knowledge and charm; I believe you will be waiting a very long time, and should be highly skeptical of the person you are putting your faith in.  God knows what is going on, and will bring an end to the pain and suffering in due time.  Perhaps it is near the end, or perhaps it is another clearing of the chaff as He has done in the past; but I trust that He is the only answer in today’s world.  I am not depressed nor dismayed by today’s problems.  I am concerned and heartbroken that our leaders are not turning to God for answers though.  There seems to be so much confusion between our leaders in regards to God that there is little ground for coming together as one body.  You and I on the other hand represent a much larger body of believers and with the strength, grace, love and sovereignty of God almighty we can come together and stand up for righteousness, justice and His eternal plan of salvation in today’s world.  These problems don’t fix themselves, it takes participation from the people with a passion for seeing it through.

© Sondove Enterprises, 2012
For more Daily Thoughts go to: http://www.10minutereader.com