 |
|
| Volume 23 Number 9 September 2021 |
Page 11 |
|
|
| Volume 23 Number 9 September 2021 |
Page 11 |
Ralph Clevinger
The prophet Habakkuk had a problem. He saw the evil, pain and suffering inflicted by the wicked upon the righteous. Listen to his plea.
O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear? Even cry out to You, “Violence!” And You will not save. Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises. Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds. (Habakkuk 1:2-4 NKJV)
Habakkuk desired to see the wicked punished for their actions. He called for the Lord to intercede on behalf of the righteous. He wanted to see justice. The Lord answered his pleas by giving him an answer. The Lord would raise up the Chaldeans to bring a judgment against His people. The Lord’s explanations displeased and confused Habakkuk. The truth was the Lord had a reason for the plan that He revealed to Habakkuk.
Today, the earth is still full of evil, pain and suffering. One cannot deny this fact when it is ever present in television and social media. The news continually speaks about it. People make posts about the hurt and pain happening around them. The evil of this world readily works itself into the normal conversations of life. The temptation to cry out “How long!” remains today.
Peter enlightened the reader to the longsuffering of God. Hear his words. “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). The Lord gives time for all of mankind to turn away from wickedness. Contrary to popular belief, the Lord does not seek whom He can punish. The Lord “desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4). The world still spins in the hope others will come to Him.
Let us take advantage of the day! There are many who are lost in their sins. There are many who desire to find the cure to their souls' diseases. We have the answer. Let us spread the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to all who will hear!
Handling Offenses
Cecil May, Jr.
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother” (Matthew 18:15 NKJV). Among professing Christians, that may be the most disobeyed passage in the Bible. The normal reaction to “If your brother sins against you” is “Go tell several other people what he has done.”
Incidentally, if you realize you have offended a brother, Jesus says, “Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24).
Whether you are the offender or the offendee, you should meet one another on the way to make it right.