After serving us a wonderful dinner in Jerusalem, Dagmar, in her very direct manner, asked, “So, Dana, what do you think God is doing in the world in these days?” I asked to confirm, but I was confident she was alluding to the various world catastrophes that have taken place the past few months. Together we listed a few: earthquake in Haiti, earthquake in Chile, earthquake in China, volcano in Iceland, economic tsunami in Greece, and just a couple of days earlier an explosion had taken place in the Gulf of Mexico causing thousands of gallons of oil to pollute the water.
The unbeliever is incapable of asking a question regarding a Creator who holds all things in his hands. He must rely solely on scientists’ predictions and human explanation. “God’s shaking the earth,” I said. “He wants everyone to look up and tune their ears to what he’s been saying for generations.” The Scripture that popped to mind was this: “See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of what can be shaken – that is, created things – so that what cannot be shaken may remain.” Hebrews 12:25-27
Though man pretends to be in constant control, look how helpless we are in so many cases. Who can stop an earthquake? Who can silence a volcano? Who can keep the rain from falling? We can’t even seem to stop our oil leaks in the ocean. Just having been on a trip where it seemed Susan and I had absolutely no control over circumstances and schedules, I asked Dagmar, “So then how do we live?” Christians were in the earthquake zones; Christians were impacted by the volcano in Iceland; Christians are being affected by the ecological disaster in the Gulf… When our world shakes or when we suffer loss or when we hear frightening reports… do we react differently from the world? If Jesus reigns in our hearts, does he speak ‘peace’ in the storm? If the Holy Spirit is in charge of our lives, is his supernatural fruit evident? If God is our Father, need we fear?
How then should we live? Be thankful, worship with reverence, love one another, be hospitable, help the suffering, honor marriage, be pure, trust God, be content, do not fear, remember leaders, look to Jesus, reject false teaching, receive grace, praise God, do good, share with others, let God work in you… simple!
“Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’ Keep on loving each other as brothers. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral. Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’ Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings. It is good for our hearts to be strengthened by grace… Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess his name. And do not forget to do good and share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased… May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us that what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Hebrews 12:28-13:21