Page 14 - 2015 On The Path

14 – Sunday, October 25, 2015 – El Dorado NEWS-TIMES
Several hundred years later, the nation was torn into two nations and then both were taken into captivity by stronger more powerful nations because they continued to violate this trust. The prophet, Jeremiah, lived during this time (about 500 BC) and wrote about why this happened. Writing on behalf of God, Jeremiah pens:
“Therefore I bring charges against you again,” declares the LORD. “And I will bring charges against your children’s children. Cross over to the coasts of Cyprus and look, send to Kedar and observe closely; see if there has ever been anything like this: Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols. Be appalled at this, you heavens, and shudder with great horror,” declares the LORD. (Jer 2.9- 12)
The nation of Israel, once strong and powerful in its history, lost its trust in the God of the universe, the God of the earth: they lost their Moral Compass and set out on a course without trusting His lamp and light. Jeremiah continues, saying on behalf of God:
“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. (Jer 2.13)
“But they (Israel) did not listen or pay attention; they did not turn from their wickedness or burning incense to other gods.” (Jer 44.5)
To correct the course is to choose the Divine Moral Compass.
On earth, man and Israel and all of earth’s inhabitants were having diffi- culty following God’s compass pro- claimed through the prophets. So in order to solve this dilemma, God sent
His one and only Son into the world to factually set the Moral Compass straight for all of humanity and for every nation under the sun.
This event was so factual in reality that all of earth’s time was set, like a compass, to the day of his appearing, the day of his birth. To this day, noth- ing can be dated (BC/AD) without the recognition of this fact and great event.
No other worshipped being can make this claim — no man can make this claim — no other god can make this claim.
The world’s compass in time always points to the Son. Jesus, the Christ, was his name and he came and lived for 33 years to be inclusive of all men with his holy, moral example.
He took the thief on the cross to Paradise to show he pardons all, he refused to condemn the woman caught in adultery to show he accepts all, he drove legions of evil spirits from a crazed man to show he works for all. He was Jesus, the Word born of woman.
He was the exact representation of God the Creator and Maker of all. Jesus was Creator God in flesh! When a nation turns its back on God today, they reject Christ and forsake the “spring of living water” which is the Moral Compass. In doing so, a nation digs its own cisterns which will prove to be broken and not hold water. “Broken cisterns” cause violence in the streets, random shootings, mass murder, terrorism, poverty, rejection of authority, sexu- al immorality---actions which speak counter and opposite to “In God We Trust”.
As a nation, we must return to the pledge written on the face of every coin and currency of the U.S. We must not be mistaken of calling “In God we Trust” a meaningless deistic motto.
Instead, we must pledge to renew that vow and live lives that demonstrate--- “In God We Trust”! Let us understand the words, written in Heb 1.1-4, will keep every nation “On the Path”.
“In the past God spoke to our ances- tors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.”
Let us understand the God of heaven and the Son of earth have a plan for all
of creation — for every nation, tribe, language, race and creed. When a nation or people reject the Son, they reject the one Creator God.
When a nation or people exclude the God of heaven, their exclusion determines their destiny as seen in the days of Israel. “In God We Trust” is the Moral Compass of Christ the Lord and provides the only inclusive path which insures peace and safety and prosperity for every nation as written in Rev 5.9:
“And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you pur- chased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.’”
Scott Johnson is pastor of East Faulkner Church of Christ in El Dorado and author of “BRG Bible”.
TRUST Continued from Page 13
For everything there is a season and
a time for every purpose under heaven,
Ecclesiastes 3:1
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