Denying The Deadly Wound

lthough even mainstream media has now begun to address the unthinkable subject of nuclear terrorism as many political figures are now referring to it as "inevitable," most Christian leaders continue to sidestep the issue altogether. Some justify their stance by lamely stating they only want to preach the "gospel," even as most shrug it off by asserting Christians will never see such tribulational events as they'll be in the clouds en route to heaven with the invisible Jesus.

Ironically, the "gospel" supposedly being preached is the good news that Jesus Christ is the TRUTH -- thus to deny the reality of our predicament is hardly an embrace of the truth. The prophet Isaiah castigates those who "have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves" (Isaiah 28:15).

This process of denial is something psychologists have addressed, and I won't add much to it in the present context. It should be said, however, that the inability to perceive the truth of a given circumstance speaks of the lack of a "sound mind" (II Timothy 1:7). Those that cannot recognize danger when they see it have reasoning processes that should be called into question.

When Paul writes about the "strong delusion" that will come upon the whole world (II Thessalonians 2), the word underlying delusion is a Greek word rendered elsewhere as error. If the 1st century Christians had committed an "error" and miscalculated the connection between the gathering Roman armies and the stern warning issued by our LORD that "when ye shall See Jerusalem compassed with armies....flee to the mountains" (Luke 21:20,21), there might not have been a Christian church left to spread the gospel.

When God says through Hosea "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou has rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee..." (Hosea 4:6), He is saying if you refuse MY knowledge and make lies your refuge, you will have rejected ME. Hebrews says "Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark..." (Hebrews 11:7).

To bring this all to the present timeline, you'd better have some oil in your lamp, because the bridgegroom is coming, and if you refuse His counsel, the door will be shut (Matthew 25). Unfortunately, the "foolish virgins" in the parable provide us with imagery that is a rather apt description of the majority of Christians today.

August 10 2005 -- James Lloyd

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See Also

The Deadly Wound