Thursday 30 July 2020

Stands forever

Stands forever
                  Isaiah the prophet wrote,
"A voice says, "Cry out." And I said, "What shall I cry?" 
"All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. 
The grass withers and the flowers fall, 
because the breath of the LORD blows on them. 
Surely the people are grass. 
The grass withers and the flowers fall, 
but the word of our God stands forever." 
                                                      Isaiah 40:6-8.
An anonymous poet writes,
“Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith's door,
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
Then, looking in, I saw upon the floor
Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.

"How many anvils have you had," said I,
"To wear and batter all these hammers so?"
"Just one," said he, and then, with twinkling eye,
The anvil wears the hammers out, you know."

And so, thought I, the anvil of God's Word,
For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
The anvil is unharmed - and hammers gone.”
                                                                           Anonymous.
Over the centuries there have been many men, some, the most powerful on earth, who have said there is no God.
Some countries today even try to wipe out belief in God. They persecute, imprison, and even murder Christians for simply believing in something they say does not exist. Yet despite this believers in Christ, believers in God still continue to believe.
Every one of Christ’ apostles except John suffered a martyrs death. Yet the gospel message continued.
During the early days of Christianity two apostles were brought before the Sanhedrin a Jewish religious court of the day.  Some members of the court wanted to put them to death for what they had said.
A wise man. A Pharisee named Gamaliel standing before the Sanhedrin however said,
“Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.  
But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Acts 5:38,39.
I think the fact that believers in Christ Jesus, Christians are still around today, and are increasing in numbers despite persecution, shows they are from God. And those who would try to wipe Christians out are fighting against God.
As C. S. Lewis said,
"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word 'darkness' on the walls of his cell." C.S. Lewis.
Please think about it.

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