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Dear Editor: As I think about the day in which we are living, I recall the words of the Prophet Isaiah in Isaiah 59:1-4, 9-10 (N.I.V. “Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear. For your hands are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies and your tongue mutters wicked things. No one call for justice; no one pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies; they conceive trouble and give birth to evil….. So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows. Like the blind we grope along the wall, feeling our way like men without eyes.” When terrorists attached us on September 11, 2001 many asked ‘Where was God?’ Could God have protected us from these attacks? Yes, but why should He come to our aid? We have been guilty and remain guilty of shedding the blood of unborn infants. Our courts pervert justice and change the laws of our land rather than enforce them. Our elected officials ignore the laws that are on the books and perform same sex |
marriages. Our churches aim to make their constituency happy rather than holy. Our schools proclaim moral relativism. God has been brushed aside in our society until tragedy strikes and them we look for Him. We are in need of a heart transformation. We need to heed the words of Joel 2:12-13 (N.I.V) “Even now, declares the Lord, return to me with all your heart, with fasting, and weeping and mourning. Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love and he relents from sending calamity.” I believe that God has protected us from further terrorist attacks, but we must not continue to ignore Him. He is calling us to repentance. We are told in Romans 2:4 (N.I.V.) “do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?” Those who have convictions on matters such as the right to life, the sanctity of marriage, the preservation of political, economic and religious freedom, and moral purity must not remain silent. We must speak out and let our voice be heard. Evil prevails when good men do nothing. Recently the showing of Mel Gibson’s film “The Passion
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Christ” vividly portrayed the physical suffering that Jesus experienced in his unjust trial and crucifixion, but no one could portray the spiritual suffering that Jesus experienced on our behalf. Only the Bible reveals this to us. Jesus suffered the punishment that each of us deserves in order to bring us into union with God the Father. He who knew no sin became a sin offering for us so that we might be clothe with the righteousness of God. He did for us what we are not capable of doing for ourselves. We cannot make ourselves acceptable to a Holy God but Jesus fulfilled all righteousness and offers it to anyone who will turn from sin and trust in Him. I hope that those who see Mel Gibson’s film will ask: “Who Crucified Jesus?” and turn to the Bible for the answer. They will discover that God sent His Son, Jesus to the cross to pay for the sins of all who will trust in Him. The Bible alone helps us to see the true purpose for which Jesus went to the cross. I hope that many will seek out a church that holds to the authority and sufficiency of the Bible and find the answers to the questions that are being raised today. Sincerely, Anthony L. Gibson Pastor |