No Other Reason, No Other Way

No Other Reason, No Other Way 

by David Brenneman 

Our world is by far getting worse and worse at the blame shifting and finger pointing rather than the acceptance of things as God said they would be. 

Indeed as it is as Jesus said...as it was in the days of Noah, so it is today.  Evil everywhere and everywhere we see people doing what is right in their own eyes. 

Psychologists are heavily in on it with pointing people away from the guilt of sin to blame everyone and everything else instead.  Blaming situations, blaming people, blaming emotions and feelings.  Always pointing somewhere else.  Even at times blaming God.  

As wonderful and as chaotic as life in this world can be...it isn't going to stop the plan of God for mankind.  None of this we see today is a surprise to the all-knowing God of creation.  Nothing you can do, say, or think is a surprise to Jesus.

You're not going to face situations that He already didn't know were coming.

God, likewise, isn't to blame for the state of the world.  If God chose to judge in this very moment, all of mankind would find themselves face-to-face with Jesus.  Some, having been saved in Christ, would stand with Him.  The rest would stand condemned.  There is no middle ground. There will be no second chances after death. 

There are indeed idols in this world.  Either Jesus is the one we bow down to and worship or it's whatever and whomever we put up in front of us in His place.  This is easily read in the beginning of the 10 Commandments.  You will have no other gods before Me. You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and spirit.  

When we allow other things to come first we stumble.   When we're not engaging our relationship with Jesus first we stumble.  Joshua stumbled almost right away in what I was reading this morning.  A group of men approached him by deceit and he neglected to ask the Lord about them.  He enacted a covenant with them before the Lord...only to find out they were actually living in the land.  Yes, they became slaves to the people, but had he consulted the Lord, they wouldn't have been there.  The Lord's instructions were to kill all who breathed. Covet nothing under the ban.  

We often live on reaction rather than action.  We often do not help our own situations by not going to the Lord Jesus Christ first.  When we don't, in many cases, we end up blaming ourselves or blaming God or blaming others.  Really not much different than the world. 

We indeed must pursue a life of obedience even if it's painful.  The Apostles went through many many painful moments to arrive at the gates of Heaven.  Many thousands in the early Church went through must distress.  We shouldn't be surprised.  What is it we read?

"Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you;" 1 Peter 4:12.

In light of this, do not forget "‭‭And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28.

Look at the beginning of mankind. Adam tried blaming Eve, Eve tried blaming the snake.   Humans have been blaming something or someone else since we were born. 

We need to have our hearts right before a Holy God.  We must not place our passion, love, emotions, feelings, on or towards anything else or anyone else other than the Lord Jesus Christ...that path leads to idolatry.  

Our world teaches every single generation to put self first.  Teaches every single person whether or not they are Christians, to justify their actions in the name of identity or the name of fun.  The Bible is pretty explicit in saying to stay away from course jesting.  "I was only joking" or other things have honestly done much to shipwreck the faith and growth of a person in Christ.  I was personally convicted concerning my attitude and disposition with regards to sports teams.  We use our justification of two teams playing to throw out the Bible.  

We are often the contributors to this chaos in our world.  

Was reading a comment from Dr. Charles Stanley.  We shouldn't be crying out to Jesus to save us in situations we created, that were avoidable.  

Those in the present darkness indeed are the same as we read in the beginning of the book of John.  They love the darkness rather than the Light.  

We're to live as lights in the world.  The light of Jesus Christ.  Exposing, even, the darkness to point people to Jesus.  Blame shifting does nothing to get at the truth.

Paul wrote to Timothy on how this world is and would be.  We're indeed living in it.

Jesus is still coming soon.  He came as the Bible said He would.  He lived as the Bible said He would.  Died as the Bible said He would. Arose from the dead as the Bible said He would.  Is going to return as it says He will. 

Rather than the chaos being our focus, focus on growing in Christ. Clean house. Get rid of things that bring out the sin nature in you. Replace them with what grows you in Christ Jesus.  The world says that if you do that you will miss out on living life.  Jesus says you do that and you will find life.  Choose who you will listen to...your eternity depends on it. 

All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.