Feet That Bring Good Tidings

 

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Nahum 1:15 King James Version

¹⁵ Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace!

 

We have had well over a week of three-digit temperatures (over 40ºC). At night it seldom gets down to 80º (27ºC). When it does, I can consider turning on the whole-house fan to bring fresh, cool air into the house. However, lately it has been too hot even at 4 o’clock in the morning.

The other morning, I went into the back yard. Hundreds of little clouds curdled the sky. It indicated another hot day, but right then it was pleasantly warm. Early dawn turned the hills and trees around me into dark silhouettes. The clouds reflected the city lights and were almost glowing. I watched, enchanted, to see if I could make out a star in the dark lacey background. Nothing!

After five minutes or so, I caught the faint glitter of a star. The star watcher in me chided me for not bring my phone with its Sky Map App. It would have suggested which star I was seeing. The star played hide-and-seek amongst the cloud-curdled sky. Then a second star joined the first one in a dance among the clouds. With patience I watched the dance until two or more stars joined in.

Clearly what I was seeing was the constellation of Orion. Adventists have long taught that Christ’s return would come through the “open space” in Orion.

Standing there in the pleasant early morning stillness, I sensed the feet of him who was bringing good tidings of peace. This was a far cry from the morning news of war, rampant crime, dirty politics, human trafficking, and runaway inflation.

Lord, we eagerly await your soon return!

 

 

[1] https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51915359715_47f8ed32dd_b.jpg

Crooked and Perverted Generation

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Philippians 2:14-16

Christian Standard Bible

¹⁴ Do everything without grumbling and arguing, ¹⁵ so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, ¹⁶ by holding firm to the word of life. Then I can boast in the day of Christ that I didn’t run or labor for nothing.

 

Over the last few months, we have endured politicians who blatantly, boldly, unblushingly, and unabashedly lied to us about almost everything. This is in a country that has become great by valuing honesty and concern for all its citizens.

After listening to a president, who lost the latest election by some seven million votes, maintain in almost every communication to the nation that his presidency was stolen from him, I despaired. Two days earlier, I had read his twitter calling for a massive protest in Washington when the legislature of the country would confirm the report of the Electoral College on their count of the country’s votes. I groaned when I read it. But I little realized how violent this attempted coup would become in an attempt to destroy Congress.

On January 6, Sylvia and I drove 4 hours to visit some of her cousins. We all wore masks and refrained from the usual familial embraces and attempted to maintain social distance—just in case you wish to grumble and argue that we were foolishly exposing ourselves to Covid-19. On the way there, Sylvia read to me some inspiring accounts of the way God is taking a hand in the task of giving every person on earth a copy of the scriptures in her own heart language. Coming home that night, we also drove four hours, this time in the dark, so she couldn’t read to me. I tuned in to the local news station. We listened absolutely stunned by the mayhem these domestic terrorists—who branded themselves as protestors—were wreaking on the Capitol. They were also intent on reaching Vice-President, Mike Pence, and Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, whom they wished to kill. The President was hidden away in the White House watching the destruction on TV. As president, he was head of the executive branch of the government, and it is his duty to step in and stop the violence. Instead, he did nothing. Nothing!

Indeed, you and I live in a “crooked and perverted generation.” May we live in such a manner that we “shine like stars in the world.” How will the world view our shining like stars? As Christ told it, “If they persecute Me, they will persecute you, too.”[ii]

Take heart, however! Christ encouraged us when he prophesied: “But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”[iii] How was it in the days of Noah? “God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”[iv]  Sounds close to what we see and hear today.

Lord, we take heart, even as we see corruption and violence flourish, knowing that You are coming again!

  

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[i] https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/how-was-a-violent-mob-able-to-breach-the-u-s-capitol-activists-see-double-standard-in-police-response

[ii] John 15:20 (KJV)

[iii] Matthew 24:37 (KJV)

[iv] Genesis 6:5 (KJV)