The turn of the year fairly begs for it, and many would oblige, but can one think of a more futile occupation? We are all would-be prognosticators. We pry and plan, but who can foresee the future in truth? God-given prophecy is in bits and pieces, even, and it is said of those prophets that they peered in vain to try to see what the meaning of the messages were.
One thing I have learned is that things take strange turns. Life is stranger than fiction is more a truth than many other things we might observe. We can’t possibly imagine or make up events more strange than how they often turn out.
But that doesn’t mean we can’t track things and guess at outcomes…we just can’t count on our conclusions is all.
I read through some tongue in cheek and some rather serious predictions in a couple of blogs.. with the new year’s advance I expect to read more. But the real oddity is that in all the predictions the real prophets among us are often the most ignored. Why is that? They are lost in the fluff and the flurry of all the prophetic confetti.
Yet there is guidance to be had. God gives it, and that alone is to be trusted. It is hidden in meaning oftentimes, but it can be understood with seeking. Think of Daniel. The answers are always found in seeking God and the meaning of His message.
Can we? Shall we?
It will dictate the direction of our life, whether we may make our way, or be swept along in it.
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the strangest things…or how I dreamt of a tsunami…
A few years ago I had a dream that stood out in my mind when I awoke, the kind where you feel that there is meaning in it. Since the news of this last, real and devastating, tsunami came about I was reminded of it.
I was on a shoreline, at a beach, talking with my then-pastor. I was trying to convince him of the danger of a coming tsunami and the fact that many children were at a church camp on a cape that stretched out into the sea. I was telling him that we all needed to get to higher ground, but he brushed aside what I was saying. I went ahead to get my children to safety… getting all to cross the narrow passage to safety, except one of my youngest. I saw we were far into the coming of the waves, so I lashed her with myself to something on a boat. I woke up hoping she would make it.
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Do physical events have predictive importance for spiritual ones? Are we to face a tsunami of events in the coming times? How quickly events may change the face of the future. How suddenly some completely unexpected turns overtake us.
I have been thinking over that past dream, and I have trying to absorb the news of the devastation of this past weekend’s tsunami. It gives me pause when I think of prognostications and anyones ability to foresee. So few can, and even fewer to hear. We be best paying attention to our todays.
The HUMAN PARADIGM – Introduction
Consider:
The way we define ‘human’ determines our view of self,
others, relationships, institutions, life, and future.
Important? Only the Creator who made us in His own image
is qualified to define us accurately. Choose wisely…
there are results.
Many problems in human experience are the result of false
and inaccurate definitions of humankind premised in man-
made religions and humanistic philosophies.
Human knowledge is a fraction of the whole universe. The
balance is a vast void of human ignorance. Human reason
cannot fully function in such a void, thus, the intellect
can rise no higher than the criteria by which it perceives
and measures values.
Humanism makes man his own standard of measure. However,
as with all measuring systems, a standard must be greater
than the value measured. Based on preponderant ignorance
and an egocentric carnal nature, humanism demotes reason
to the simpleton task of excuse-making in behalf of the
rule of appetites, desires, feelings, emotions, and glands.
Because man, hobbled in an ego-centric predicament, cannot
invent criteria greater than himself, the humanist lacks
a predictive capability. Without instinct or transcendent
criteria, humanism cannot evaluate options with foresight
and vision for progression and survival. Lacking foresight,
man is blind to potential consequence and is unwittingly
committed to mediocrity, averages, and regression – and
worse. Humanism is an unworthy worship.
The void of human ignorance can easily be filled with a
functional faith while not-so-patiently awaiting the foot-
dragging growth of human knowledge and behavior. Faith,
initiated by the Creator and revealed and validated in His
Word, the Bible, brings a transcendent standard to man the
choice-maker. Other philosophies and religions are man-
made, humanism, and thereby lack what only the Bible has:
1.Transcendent Criteria and
2.Fulfilled Prophetic Validation.
The vision of faith in God and His Word is survival equip-
ment for today and the future.
Man is earth’s Choicemaker. Psalm 25:12 He is by nature
and nature’s God a creature of Choice – and of Criteria.
Psalm 119:30,173 His unique and definitive characteristic
is, and of Right ought to be, the natural foundation of
his environments, institutions, and respectful relations
to his fellow-man. Thus, he is oriented to a Freedom
whose roots are in the Order of the universe.
See the complete article at Homesite
http://www.choicemaker.net/
I agree that the Bible holds the knowledge man needs, and agree that faith is what is needed to manuver through our futures, but that it is ‘easy’?
The patience of the saints is to wait in faith. Waiting on God… that is what man does not do so well, or so easily.
And that is call for our day. The answers have been there for us, it is the apprehension that evades us.