Scripture: Jeremiah 22 v 3: "Thus saith the Lord; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place."
As I was waiting on the Lord for His guidance for today's Bible Study He gave me this verse and I also had a sense of His sadness and anger at people who do wrong and are violent against the innocent in our society.
The latest horrific and mindless terror attack in Israel is not far from my mind; as well as a documentary called "Crimes That Shook Britain" where these drugged teenagers kicked a father to death in front of his daughters, and on trial they mocked and laughed at the court until their long sentences were handed down. Then they cried.
These are prominent instances of violence and shedding of innocent blood. Most go on unseen as people are raped, murdered, stabbed, shot, beaten and oppressed in all countries every day. In South Africa its the norm and those who are meant to keep law and order are often the worst offenders.
Stats from last year show that in just KZNatal province there were nearly 15000 pregnant schoolgirls, nearly half under the age of 14; some as young as 12 years old. No wonder our Hiv/AIDS victims have reached 5,000,000 leaving more than 2 million orphans. No wonder Jesus is sad and angry. We should be too.
This scripture was delivered to the Jews some 3000 years ago but is just as applicable to each one of us today. The Christian life changes us into caring, compassionate, loving people who live in peace with one another and are considerate towards others. Our base sins are forgiven and we are changed into the likeness of Jesus day by day. We have to overcome our carnal, fleshly nature to walk in the light with Him.
We follow scriptures from the first century of the New Testament age. I was asked a question yesterday: "What does today's Church lack?" My answer is that Christians do not understand the full power of the anointing of the Holy Spirit. We also need to go back to learn from the Christians who were in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit baptism occurred.
They turned the world upside down! They healed cripples in the street. When Peter was walking by the sick were laid in the streets because his shadow touching them healed them. When prominent Christians lied about their donation to the Church Peter pronounced death upon them because they had lied to the Holy Ghost. One after the other they dropped dead immediately.
Christianity is not for our entertainment. It's a serious radical way of life. It is not a religion. Those churches that turned it into a religion passed on a legacy that weakened the true power of the Christian Life. It winked at sin and allowed all kinds of carnality, violence, misconduct and false doctrines to tarnish that which Jesus gave His life for.
No murderer has eternal life in him. (1 John 3 v 13 - 14). Murder is a product of hate, fuelled by Jealousy or covetousness, unleashed by drugs or alcohol or religious dementia. Murder of innocents is either hot and passionate or cold and calculating but the reward is eternity in hell.
We cannot hide our heads in the sand and pretend satan is a myth. Its his best lie. A comic figure - Hotstuff the good little devil. He is not. Jesus called him the god of this world. Jesus was tempted by him in the wilderness. Jesus cast out many demons and gave us the tools to do likewise.
Jesus says there is no way to the Father except through Him. This means that every other way or religion is contrary to Him and to finding Heaven. Therefore realise that their gods are manifestations of demons that will hate true Christians. Persecution and martyrdom is rapidly increasing the world over.
We must be alert for ourselves and our children to be protected against the wiles of the enemy through the huge wide door called the Internet. We must be aware of what our children are accessing on the Net. There are predators out there using every means available to connect with children right there in the "safety" of their bedrooms on their phones, tablets or laptops. Do we keep a tight check on our children, or inform them of the dangers?
Just today a man has come forward to tell the world information he knew about the disappearance of Madeleine McCann when she was 3 years old. He overheard people in Portugal 17 years ago, planning to abduct a child to sell to a childless couple in Germany. One week later Maddie was taken. Within an hour he told the British police in Cumbria what he knew and asked them to inform their counterparts in Portugal. It seems nothing was done about his information. So now he has decided to share this tragic story publicly. Let us pray that she will be reunited with her real family soon.
Children are also affected by violence in the home when parents fight and argue and put one another down. We must love one another and support one another in dignity and truth. Threats of violence or actual wife beating can scar a child's mind for life.
Matthew 18 v 2 - 7: "And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,
3 And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.
6 But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
7 Woe unto the world because of offences! for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh!"
Children are not mature enough to detect predators on the Net or lurking near schools, and need your guidance. So let us heed the words God spoke to Jeremiah and take them to heart. Let us put them into practice in our own lives and pray for others to follow the right ways of our Lord.
Let us realise that God sees every child and knows who did what and when. He has already judged offenders harshly. The perpetrators of Epstein's Love Island, and many similar islands, may escape prosecution on Earth but spend eternity in Hell for the violence, murder and horrors done to children.
Galatians 5 v 21 - 24: "Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts."
Prayer: Heavenly Father we live in a violent age and we thank You for reminding us of how we are meant to live. Let us be examples to Your flock and help others to know how to overcome their base nature. In Jesus' name. Amen.