While I was working on my blog last month a critter chewed through the ground on my power line and I was left without electricity for a few days. Although it was a minor inconvenience, I hoped to use my time more productively by getting some writing and reading done. Soon, I found myself coming up with ways to get electricity back into my home.
My landlord ran a drop cord from another apartment and I quickly realized how dependent I was on the convenience of electricity. What many of us consider a “blessing” had become a curse to me. And that is what this new blog will focus on, the Curse (Genesis 3:17; Isaiah 24:5).
The Hebrew word for bless in the Old Testament is Barak; I’ll try not to go off on a political tangent with this. Barak is a rather tricky word, for it is also translated as to kneel down or to curse. Its usage is dependent upon the context of the phrase it is being used in. To put this in perspective , let’s look at the biblical story of a Noah. God’s judgment fell upon the land because of man’s sin that resulted from the curse of the GARDEN OF EDEN.
While the great FLOOD was a catastrophe and it devastated mankind, it cleansed the earth of unrighteousness—it was also a sign of God’s grace by purifying the land and giving mankind a second chance. It’s no wonder that curses are often mentioned with blessings in the Bible, in both the old and new Testaments respectively. Don’t forget God’s promise to Noah through the sign of RAINBOWS—which is appropriate since we will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in a couple of weeks.
Ever since rainbows have been symbols of HOPE, grace and peace—but there first must be rain and even storms before a rainbow can appear. Unfortunately, most people don’t want to go through the storms of life. Everyone wants this feel-good false lovey-dovey feeling. Even in the church, most would rather stay on the MOUNTAIN TOP and pray they DON’T FALL. They fail to realize that nothing grows on the mountaintop; all the spiritual growth takes place in the valleys of life.
Earlier this season on American Idol judge Keith Urban responded to a contestant’s disapproval of his rejection, “My comments and opinions aren’t meant to hurt people, but to help them to grow as artists. Nothing frustrates me more than when people don’t listen to my advice because they don’t like it.”
And this is how most people view God and Christianity; they reject it/Him because they don’t agree with what the Bible says. They want to believe that they are good enough, loving enough and strong enough to go to heaven—they’re simply living on a prayer and counting stars. People want to believe that God is so loving that He sends everyone to heaven regardless of who they are. While God does love us like crazy, He doesn’t force it on us—we can refuse His gift. ChristianityToday Magazine editor and author Mark Galli notes, “Often we’re merely using Jesus to justify ourselves or to make ourselves feel better about rejecting him.”
It’s an incomplete theology to think of the afterlife as a never-ending city of love where everyone gets their deepest desire and justice is never served. This is the error of universalism, justice is never served—it neglects God’s sovereignty and righteous wrath against the evil that resulted from the curse placed upon this world in the garden, welcome to the jungle—ITS A WAR.
Whether you see it on the news or it creeps into your personal social circle, you can’t deny that this EMPTY WORLD is passing away (1 John 2:17). Injustice and corruption are rampant in today’s society. The American dream has made a nightmare out of the AMERICAN CHURCH—we’re a materialistic culture, do whatever makes you happy—that’s God’s plan for you. God’s sovereignty and righteousness have become mere ideals or just fairy tells of days gone by, even in Mother Nature anyone can see how the curse continues to affect this fallen world.
Last month I had the opportunity to go back to Colorado for a couple weeks to attend The Christian Writers Guild’s annual conference and to visit some old and new friends. Before I left Georgia most of my friends here thought I was crazy for going to Colorado during the winter, in an ironic turn of events I enjoyed mild temperatures in the 50s and 60s while most of my friends back in Georgia were frozen in the icecolypse of 2014.
At the conference I had the opportunity to take classes almost 12 hours a day and hear some of the best Christian speakers and authors share their stories. One of my favorite sessions was with Christian author Brandilyn Collins as she shared her heart, “I’m in the wilderness of life, and my life isn’t going as I had planned it—but as God has directed it. We are all in the wilderness.”
Her vulnerability was the evidence she was learning to TRUST MORE in God during the storms of life than in herself. It wasn’t that she didn’t face the storms of life, but that they were strengthening her for the journey of climbing the mountain. The storms of life will come, no one is immune to them—certainly not Christians. During the closing devotional of the conference evangelist and author Sammy Tippit shared, “Moses went to God’s school and he took three basic courses: humility, timing and patience. God used the trials and storms in Moses’ life to humble him and prepare him for God’s work. It wasn’t an overnight transformation, but a forty year journey in which Moses went from a privileged life to a Shepard. God is working in you at His pace.”
In this wild world of a jungle, we must first be followers before we can be leaders, we are called to follow Jesus—the LION LEADS THE WAY back to the garden—to God. And this is my dilemma, is the Curse really a curse for Christians—for those who profess I BELIEVE in Jesus and live for Him? Or is it the evidence of something much BETTER?
THE PROMISE?
I hope that after my last two series its clear how much God loves us. Jesus is the church’s ultimate lover and He promises that nothing in the UNIVERSE will ever separate us from His love: no angel or demon, no height or deepest ocean can take us from His presence—not even death can hold us (Romans 8:36–38), because we’re His MASTERPIECE. I’m PERSUADED life after death will be more WONDERFUL than all of our BIG DREAMS here in this fallen world.
There is no need to go looking for a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. We don’t need a lucky leprechaun—we’ve got Jesus. The great British preacher and teacher Charles Spurgeon once noted, “We who have believed in Jesus enter into rest even now. Why should we not do so? Our salvation is complete.” Although the curse has suffocated this world like the THORNS AND THISTLES in that first garden, MY GOD WON’T LET GO of His KINGDOM FIGURES, because true LOVE DON’T DIE and trials are only a chance to LOVE MORE.
We are forever sealed in His love (John 3:33; Romans 4:11; 1 Corinthians 9:2;2 Timothy 2:19; Revelation 7:3). Mark Galli continues in his book God Wins, “He has forgiven us. He has given us eternal life, which can be enjoyed even today, as well as the promise of heaven that is even more real than we can imagine. In short as the book (Love Wins) says over and over, he has given us the possibility of experiencing peace, joy, and love forever.” Indeed, our God is FAITHFUL—still there will be trials.
Our lives may not always be a serene beach with glistening waters. More often it’s like a terrible hurricane powered by TROUBLED WATERS that seem to overtake us at times. But for the redeemed, these are only momentary tribulations that are preparing us for our journey HOME (2 Corinthians 4:17). As we know Jesus PAID IT ALL for us when He became our curse on the cross (Galatians 3:13–14).
Christian author and pastor John MacArthur notes, “God's grace is his unmerited favor toward the wicked, unworthy sinners, by which he delivers them from condemnation and death.” God is a god of MERCY, MERCY that is given freely to those who choose to follow Him. Yet, He is a jealous God, HE IS GOD of everything under the sun.
And like any caring parent, passionate lover or righteous and just god—God promises to fight for His beloved and bring justice for them, in fact Scripture is quite clear that vengeance is God’s alone (Deuteronomy 32:35;1 Samuel 26:10; Romans 12:19). God will judge this world one last time. Ironically most people already know this and claim, “ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE ME.” This world is more concerned about making people happy than making God happy. Comedian Bill Cosby wisely says “I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.” This world’s status quo is LIVE AND LET LIVE—tolerance has replaced love, common sense has been TWISTED into acceptance and justice is nothing more than just FEELING GOOD about yourself.
God has been left out of the equation in most circumstances of society today: marriage, the sanctity of life and sometimes, even in the church. I’m no Bible scholar, but I am only aware of one place that God isn’t present—Hell and once we get there, it’s it’s too late to pray, “LORD HELP ME. YOU WON’T LET GO of me.” While this world is growing darker and DOOMSDAY seems eminent, the end of the world will only bring the church closer to God as WE SING HALLELUJAH and say GOODBYE to this world—for us the Curse is more of a blessing.
In closing this blog, I have a confession to make and it breaks MY HEART to admit this. Although going back to Colorado was a blessing and tremendous opportunity for me, I realized afterwards that I neglected to do my daily devotionals each morning and it’s hard to believe, but I didn’t even miss them. It’s such a shame that I FINALLY got to go back to Colorado and I forgot to run to God each morning, I felt like a PHARISEE. For the women reading this, I guess it’s like meeting your Mr. Right only to soon realize he’s more like a curse.
