~心靈的花園~

Friday, March 21, 2003

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT WAR? (II)

The question I've probably been asked more than any other one in the past few weeks is this:

Is This The Final War?
Is this the one that leads to the second coming of Christ? It could be, BUT WE DON”T KNOW. The Bible is very clear that history is moving toward a climax and a last great battle, but we don't know if this is it or not. I'm no expert on the Second Coming, but I do know somebody who is - His name is Jesus. Let's look at what He has to say about the End of Times.

Luke 21:8-9: “Don't be fooled. Many will come in My name saying, ‘I am He!’ and ‘The time has come!’ But don't follow them. Don't be afraid when you hear of wars and revolutions; such things must happen but they don't mean the end is near. Countries will fight each other and kingdoms will attack one another.”

First, He says, “Don't be fooled ….” Don't believe everything you hear or read. There have been dozens and dozens of books that have set dates for the last days, and every one of them have been 100 percent wrong!

Notice it says, “… such things must happen ….” In the last 3,400 years there have only been 268 years that have seen no war. During the 6,000 years of recorded history, the world has averaged about two and a half wars per year. In the history of 185 generations, only ten of those generations have experienced unbroken peace. So when Jesus said, “There are going to be wars and rumors of wars,” He knew what He was talking about. We live in a fallen world.

Jesus said in Matthew 24:36, “No one knows that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” Not only did He say nobody knows, He said it's none of your business. Acts 1:7-8 says, “It's not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by His own authority. But you are to be My witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the uttermost parts of the world.”

Three times in Matthew 25 He says, “Be ready!” He could come at any time but nobody knows the time. Acts 1:7-8 contains the last words of Jesus before he went back to heaven. You figure the last words are probably the most important thing He wants to talk about. Isn't it interesting how the disciples asked a question about prophecy, and Jesus turns the question to evangelism?

They want to talk about when He's coming back. He wants to talk about winning the world - that's the priority of Jesus’ heart. He wants everybody to know Him.

How should we - as Christians - respond during war?
First, we should pray
1 Timothy 2:1-2 says, “First of all pray for kings and all others who are in authority, that we may live a quiet and peaceful life." Let’s pray for are our leaders. Pray for the president, pray for the generals, and pray for the Congress.

Notice the benefit of praying for your leaders: You'll end up living quiet and peaceful lives. We also ought to pray for our soldiers, the men and women who are over there.

The Bible says we also ought to pray for our enemies. We ought to pray that they will have a change of heart.

Second, we should trust God
The Bible says, “The Lord is my light and salvation. Whom shall I fear? Though an army besiege me and war break out against me, even then I will be confident.” While we pray for our soldiers, we also accept the fact that when war happens, there are casualties. So we're to pray and trust God, realizing that God is in control.

Third, we should seek peace
The Bible says, “Turn from evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it.” I think it not only means peace between nations, but also peace everywhere else. You need to seek peace in your family. You need to seek peace with your spouse. You need to seek peace with your children. You need to seek peace with people you are estranged from at work. That's the mark of a Christian!

Fourth, we need to support each other
The Bible says, “Carry each other's burdens and fulfill the law of Christ.” In a crisis such as this, I think the church can really show itself as a family. We are to be a family - an extended family - where we act as an extended network of support for those whose lives are influenced and affected by this war.

by jojoju at 11:02 PM |