How many of us Christians fully understand Gods word ? My answer is; none.
How many Christians believe that it is crucially important to believe that the Bible is Gods breathed Word where lies the truth about the way God would have us live our lives?. The most knowledgeable person on earth is delusional if they believe they have figured out more than small portions of Gods plan. But a dramatic shuttle crash gave me a thought about how me might look at Gods plan.
Our destiny is laid out in precise detail in the Bible and explicit occurrences that are going to happen or have already happened are numerous. I am not qualified to detail all of them but
the disciples clearly asked Jesus about the end of the world and what the signs would be. In Matthew 24:4-8 He answers that many shall come saying I am Christ, and he says there will be wars and rumors of war. Famines, pestilences and earth quakes. But this is just the beginning…to use another description, the birth pangs and Jesus said in Matthew, don’t be frightened because these things must take place. But it is not the end and he offers hope to those who are faithful.
There are two other significant events which fulfill the prophecy of end times and Jesus’ return. They concern Jews.
First was Christs prediction that Jeruselem would be taken by the the Gentiles and at some point in time they would regain it. Well the first event occurred only 40 years after his death. The second event became fact in 1948 when the state of Israel came into being nearly 2,000 years after Jesus said.
Against all odds, the second part of the prophecy was now able to unfold.
For Jesus said, you will see me no more until you (meaning Jews) say, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord (Matt:23:39)
It is an emerging reality that Jews for Jesus is a growing movement. There are Jewish Christian churches. There are increasing testimonials of Jewish acceptance of the Messiah. This quote appears in a book titled Future Hope. A Jewish Christian look at the end of the world.
“When I accepted Him it was strictly because God showed me, yes Jesus is the accepted Messiah and that was reason enough to believe in him. The realization that I had become a Christian has never made me doubt for a moment that I was still Jewish. My belief is the natural result of my search for God and fulfillment of my Jewishness. This was spoken by Dr. Vera Schlamm, a holocaust survivor.
This view tells us is that God already knows the final outcome. In the world we live in today, it might seem like we are closing in on that time but only God knows and in the interim he need to put our trust in Him.
When the shuttle Columbia crashed and seven lives were lost, Americaan President George Bush quoted scripture in his first words. At the time, having just read a book titled How Now Shall We Live, which calls on Christians to develop their worldviews as a vehicle to point to Christianity and the Bible as the source of truth and purpose of people, I was quite surprised by this bold statement from the leader of the world’s most powerful country. With potential warfare in the Middle East overshadowing even the stunning shuttle crash, as a Christian, I was lifted up by the American President taking such a high profile opportunity to state the ground on which he stands. History books will confirm it is the ground on which America was built but it is not fashionable to make that point in our age of person rights instead of human rights. In our age of denial of wrong doing, even if you are caught and convicted, judges may decide they know a better way to exercise justice where there is no real expectation for the wrong doer to admit his wrong and be punished accordingly.
I’m certain it was not lost on world leaders that heard President Bush’s message. In context, I am one Canadian, with one small opinion, an opinion that probably is not held by the majority in my country.
However getting back to the shuttle flight, I listened and watched on radio and T.V. to the aftermath of speculation about what happened, to cause the disintegration, on re-entry of the Columbia to the earths’ atmosphere. I heard one ‘expert’ describe how the flight may have been doomed 80 seconds after lift off when chunks of insulation ripped off the launch rockets fuel tank and hit the wing of the shuttle, possible tearing off some of the tiles that form the protective shield on reentry and possibly even doing worse damage. The gentleman further described that even if it had been determined that re-entry was not a possibility due to the damage, the orbit of the shuttle was considerably lower than the orbit of the space station. This meant that the crew on Columbia did not have the capability of docking at the space station and awaiting rescue. It has not been common knowledge as to whether any conversation along these lines took place between Columbia crew and Mission control. Regardless, the decision was made to return to earth, but as the fellow on a radio program that i listened to, described it, there really was no other choice.
Thinking about that option, there is no other choice, caused me to reflect on the Bible and how it describes events that will come to pass in the final days before the return of Jesus.
These are specific, historically significant events and since so many astounding prophecies of the Bible have come to pass there is no reason to logically conclude that what is described in Revelations will not come to pass as well.
Since these are pretty horrific developments in terms of human suffering, they are not dwelled upon in much of Christian teaching because it is intrinsically more important to accept Jesus Christ into your heart and lead others to do the same.
What I think most people that have a problem with God have the biggest problem with is fully accepting that God, Creator of heaven and earth and everything within it is in control of everything that happens.
If you have a secular point of view, it is paramount to believe that humans are totally in control of outcomes.But we see such huge examples everyday that humans aren’t in control of much, it seems more and more like a seriously flawed theory.
I believe that many Christians, Jews and Islamic believers also do not fully understand that Gods will is what will be done and the chapters of planet earths' history will unfold to prove Gods word - that which we have had in front of us for thousands of years in the Bible simply foretold of mankind’s battle against sin and the ultimate outcome. There are many differences and religious struggles because each group believes that it has cornered the truth.
We have no option but to go forward. Our destiny was cast shortly after we first walked the earth in the Garden of Eden. There is no short cut that mankind can create to escape the inevitable. And as that realization comes to us we have no cloice but to continue the journey, like the space shuttle crew, knowing that our time is coming to an end, and even as they did, with their last voice messages, showing calm and resolute belief that all would be well.
For all those with trust in the Lord will pass through the fiery end into peace and calm.
And it is important to realize that as time goes on we may just be messengers to spread the miracle of Jesus Christ, the plan that God created so that all who choose to follow have an escape hatch.
We do know that there were Christians on board Columbia and the first Jewish person in space. We do not know all their relationships to the Lord but as described in the Bible when the day came one brother was called and the other left behind. One person in the field was taken and one was left.
Standing back to look at the shuttle flight, I think it is a good example of a way to look at God’s destiny for mankind. Our flight was predestined at the moment of creation.
Our end is foretold in Gods word. Our hope is the last words of the Book of Revelations: The grace our Lord Jesus Christ is with you all. Amen.
