THE CRISIS OF THE HOUR

“Then the eyes of both were opened, and they know that they were naked…”

Genesis 3:7

Something changed on that day in the Garden of Eden.  In the very beginning they knew they were naked but felt no shame.  After their encounter with the serpent they responded in a peculiar way.  First they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths to cover themselves from one another. Next they hid themselves from the Presence of God.  Then they heard God coming toward them and they felt afraid.  This appears to be the birth of a conscience in the human being, and a declaration of good and evil into the world that God made and declared all good.  We continue to live in the consequences of that moment in time.

Originally it appears that God was the deciding factor in what was good and what was evil.  Because God is pure I would believe that His understanding is pure and good.  Now human reasoning and understanding has entered in to that decision and has created havoc down through time. 

When God was making up His people as the nation of Israel He made Laws for their guidance and protection.  Those Laws have lasted throughout time and provide a good standard by which to live a good life.  But human beings not only challenge God’s Laws, but now they think they can do better.  Unfortunately the outcome of that has proven to be a disaster.  Now God’s Laws are not only challenged, they are done away with and replaced by Laws contrary to God’s Laws.  And so it goes.

God’s Laws are eternal.  Man’s laws are temporary, according to how relevant they are to the present culture.  There is no firm standard and no sustainability on which to build a firm foundation.  That will always leave us adrift in a sea of waves that are getting fiercer as the storm comes nearer.

Many will be lost without something to hold on to. 

What are we giving our children today? Are we giving them an anchor to hold onto, a firm foundation on which to stand?  Or are we giving them teachings produced by false teachers, “shepherds who feed only themselves.  They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted; wild waves of the sea, foaming up with shame, wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever” (Jude 12-13).  These are empty of substance, illusions, and false teachings that will not stand the storms of life.

I believe that this nation and this world are in crisis.  These are the times when the rubber meets the road for Christians.  It all boils down to, “Did God say?” and “Is Jesus the Son of God?”  We need a change of venue.  We need to bring God back into the consciousness of our nation and our world.  Then we will see love, peace, and justice pour down like fountains of living water.