Unrepentant

            “The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun, and it was given to it to scorch men with fire.  Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.  Then the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened; and they gnawed their tongues because of pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores; and they did not repent of their deeds” (Revelation 16:8–11).

            Painful times in life often become periods of reassessment for many who experience them.  How often have you witnessed a renewed interest in spiritual matters in people following a tragedy, either individually or collectively?  A loved one dies or a relationship is destroyed and, often, a person is driven to their knees in prayer to a God they have ignored for a long time.  Or a national tragedy occurs and, suddenly, attendance at church services swells.  Sadly, once the crisis passes and the pain subsides, things return to “normal.”  Once again, there is little time for spiritual things and God’s name is only invoked as part of a curse.  I’m not here to sit in judgment over the sincerity of the repentance of anyone in these kinds of situations.  My point is that pain and suffering drives many people toward God instead of away from Him.

            That is what makes the text above from Revelation 16 stand out in such stark contrast.  God’s righteous judgment was being poured out on those who were living in rebellion to Him.  The persecutors were getting a taste of their own medicine.  One would expect such pain and suffering to drive the rebels to their knees before the God of heaven.  But they were so hardened in their sin that they stubbornly refused to repent.  Rather than give God their glory He deserves, they blasphemed Him (cf. Jeremiah 5:1-3; 6.27-30).

            How incredibly sad!

God loves you!

Mike

"Where Is God?"

“A couple had two little boys, ages 8 and 10, who were mischievous. They were always getting into trouble, and their parents knew that if any mischief occurred in their town, their sons were probably involved.  The boys' mother heard that a Pastor in town had been successful in disciplining children, so she asked if he would speak with her boys. The pastor agreed, but asked to see them individually. So the mother sent her 8-year-old in to see him the following morning, intending to send the older boy in the afternoon.

“The Pastor was a large man with a booming voice, he sat the younger boy down and sternly asked, "Where is God?" The boy's mouth dropped open, but he made no response. The Pastor repeated the question in an even sterner tone, "Where is God!!?" Again the boy made no attempt to answer. The Pastor got to his feet. Shaking his finger in the boy's face, he bellowed, "WHERE IS GOD!?"

“The boy screamed and bolted from the room. He ran directly home and dove into his closet, slamming the door behind him. When his older brother found him a few minutes later, he asked, "What happened?" The younger brother, gasping for breath, replied, "We're in BIG trouble! God is missing—and they think we did it!"” (sermoncentral.com).

Throughout history, unbelievers have claimed that God is dead or that He is just a figment of our imagination.  In times of pain or struggle, the atheist taunts: “Where is this God you say is so interested in us?”  The answer?  He is where He has always been -- running the universe and intimately involved in the lives of His children (Psalm 139).  He knows us inside and out (vv. 1-6).  We can’t outrun His reach (vv. 7-12).  He was there at the very beginning (vv. 13-16).

It is the world that has gone AWOL, not God.  It is sin that separates the human race from the God Who loves them.  If God appears to be missing or absent, it is because we have distanced ourselves from Him.

God loves you!

Mike