The current tragedy of the assassination attempt against Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has attracted the vultures of shame to the bodies of those who were slain in the incident, the youngest of them a nine year old child, Christina Greene. May her memory, and those of the other victims, be eternal!
As for the vultures of shame, yes, the renowned haters and accusers calling themselves the Westboro Baptist Church are at it again. It’s not enough that they proclaim this violent act as God’s punishment on idolatrous America. They want to picket and defile this child’s funeral with their blasphemies.
Blasphemies? Yes, blasphemies. Why not return to them the ‘blessing’ with which they bless us, the infidels, the idolaters, of America. Their leader, Fred Phelps, who calls Billy Graham a false prophet even worse than Balaam, is not ashamed to play an even worse role.
He is a modern day Balak, the Moabite king who paid Balaam to curse Israel. Brother Phelps is not ashamed to stand with satan as an accuser of the brethren, and in the worst possible circumstances. That this man and his church call themselves Baptists or even Christians is a mockery of all that is Holy.
But they can’t help themselves. They’re a living proof that even within the Church there will be found those ‘who call evil good, and good evil.’ No one does this consistently, of course, otherwise even they would recognize the lie that they espouse for what it is. But truth the evil one mixes with falsehood.
‘Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,’ says the Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 28:19). ‘And he said to them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men,’ says the Son of God, the Savior (Matthew 4:19).
Sinners, you have been screamed at, the image of God in you broken by your sins has nonetheless been blasphemed. Yes, we bid you, in Jesus’ name, turn from your sins, cleanse your wills of the desire to practice iniquity, reject violence against yourselves and others, practice peace.
Seek the Lord while He is still to be found, for He turns His loving and welcoming face towards you, in the persons of His ambassadors, who we are. Don’t look at your sins or your accusers, the elite of hell, but look to Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith—your faith, yes, that’s all that is required of you.
Let these others say and do impossible things, let them rave and wear themselves out condemning us and you. The earth will soon enough have her fill of their blasphemies committed in the name of God and His Christ. But their sacrifices are unacceptable, and their righteousness filthy rags.
There is still time. Don’t look at or listen to them. Seek the Lord while He is near. Open the doors of your hearts to Him who knocks. He stands outside your house desiring to enter in, to heal your infirmities, to cleanse your iniquities, to remove your shame, to dry the tears from your eyes.
Christ is the Lord, the only lover of mankind, and He is among us now, and will always be. There is a river whose streams refresh the City of God, and it sanctifies the dwellings of the Most High. God is inside the City, she can never fall. At crack of dawn, God helps her.
The impossible will yet continue to happen, but for a little while longer. Evil will be called good, and good evil. The Church is still here, hidden except to the eyes of faith. Acquire those eyes, brothers called before the foundation of the world by Him who died for us and for you.
Become the possible.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
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