Rant - The single cry has become...

[Nathanael]

A deafening lament.

I watched a very well put together BBC drama-documentary last night. It unfolded before me in a rather realistic portrayal the life of Genghis Khan. I had of course picked up bits and pieces of this history from the Steppes before, but this hour long programme reminded me of what I knew and added to it.

Like all the other empires that have strode the earth laying claim to lands not their own, the Mongolian warriors were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands. The ground over which their somewhat small, but immensely hardy, horses galloped was utterly soaked in the blood of those that tried to defend their homes and families.

Abel alone caused the ground to rend heaven with the cry of his blood. Khan added to it many thousand fold. And add to Khan's contribution that of the countless petty gods who have sought to make a name for themselves by destroying so many others....truly the whole world groans under this overwhelming burden, longing for release, as Paul says.

Anyway, such is my mind this morning. I feel like doing a bit of screaming myself. I have a precious family, blessed with a lovely wife and three children. My youngest is just five. He loves to play, he's just so special, as are all the children I know, and all the ones you know too. All children should be safe. Today, as I post this, my teeth are literally grinding. I'm all tense. Lord, what about all the defenceless children who have suffered and died since Cain introduced us to his brand of problem solving?

I know all about the blood of Jesus, that it alone speaks louder and more profoundly than all other that has been shed. He is able to redeem this desecrated world. One day soon. And it is days like today that I want to shout, "Declare 'time's up' Lord !! The ground has reached saturation point. It's had enough. I've had enough."

That's exactly what my heart is crying out today, and it makes me feel a bit lost. Say something folks...I'm not looking for neat answers, I just want hope to be bigger than it is to me right now. It's overshadowed by an altogether darker world.

- End of rant.

[AngelAzariah]

_____This could put me on a rant, but I wont, I'll keep it simple. The world isn't nearly as dark as it should be for the last days. As long as people keep proclaming Jesus is soon to come, he wont. That's just my feeling. I think when the Christians of this world stop proclaming Jesus is coming, and sucome to the thought that He might not, that's when the end is nigh.
_____So cheer up, everyone I know is screaming that the end is here. I'm prepared, but I take what Jesus said very seriusly, no one knows the time, only The Father. He also said that people will say the end is near, their is war over there, and not to concern ourselfs with such things.
_____I'm about to rant, so this is the end. :p

[dublinheart]

Nathanael,
I agree with Azariah (that's scary in itself).
What we see happening now is simply a progression of the end time events. God told us it would happen, and it is beginning to happen. Yet, read what he said in Mark 13: 7 & 8. Just as Azariah said, no one knows the time except God, the Father. But we can know the season. You can trust in the hope that God gave you. He said He would NEVER leave us nor forsake us, and He's not going to let us be overrun by evil. We just have to be aware of what's happening and be about our Father's business: and that is giving the Hope of Jesus to a hopeless world. Let God take care of the rest! Keep the faith!

[AngelAzariah]

jkenney,
_____I feel the love. :D Really though, I can "Amen" you on you're post (I sound like my dad when I say amen, and that is scary in itself to me).

[dublinheart]

:eek: You are loved Azariah! Thanks for your Amen. I pray that Nathanael is doing better

[edmmom]

Nathaniel,
I don't know if this helps, but, when I begin to feel discouragement, I cling to the Hope that our Father has given us; the Promise that Jesus will not come again until He has gathered all of His lost sheep back into the Fold. And, I thank Him that He chose me, who is the least of the least without Him, that He chose to use me to tell others of His Truth, of His Love. And, then, I know that I am truly blessed beyond measure, that my cup indeed runneth over. Any discouragement that I might have felt is replaced by His Joy and His Peace.

[wgjones3]

Every moment the Lord tarries, another soul comes to know Him for the first time. Regardless of what the media says, there's an evangelistic boom going on, particularly in parts of the world where "civilized" society would prefer to turn up their noses and ingore all together.

[rodojeki]

Your words certainly piece the heart of the believer and I can feel what you feel..... We know He is our only hope and as many shared here, we are to go about our Father's business, share the gospel of our Lord and Savior and live our own lives to reflect His redeeming grace in us. Lean not on your own understanding or on that of this world, but rest in His hope and love.

[Nathanael]

Thanks for the encouragement folks, it's very helpful. It's not that I am struggling to hold on myself, I have tremendous hope, knowing that the Lord has been so good to me, saving me from the enemy's kingdom and giving me an inheritance for all eternity.

It's just that I get overwhelmed by the extent of destruction we see, and I have this awful ability to feel something of the loss of people from centuries ago, as if it were today's news. So hearing about the massacre of children in Beijing at the hands of Genghis Khan, or the jewish children tossed into the burning temple by Titus' soldiers in AD70, gets me feeling low, just as you do when you see what is happening now in Sudan or elsewhere. Occasionally it all accumulates to where I reach the teeth grinding thing!

Stupid I know. Edmmon, thanks, you mentioned PEACE. The peace that the Lord gives. That is exactly where I need to get back to, a place where His peace reigns in me, replacing this 'hurt' over all the innocent bloodshed. As you have all said, I should get my attention on Jesus and his commission, and let the Lord handle the world. He knows what he is doing.

It was mentioned that we should expect things to get worse before the Lord returns, and I agree, there is plenty in scripture to indicate that. That is partly why I felt miserable. The earth is blood-soaked enough, wish that there could be an end to it, but the Lord waits so that people might be saved, and as he waits, fallen angels and fallen men continue with thier own kingdom building. And all the while more children are crushed along the way. But...the Lord sees this more clearly than I do, and feels it more profoundly. He DOES know what he is doing. So I just need to be at peace, and try to make a difference to as many people's lives as I can.

[Nathanael]

Thanks ChristChild, that is a great piece that is very appropriate! It touches on very familiar things for me, an brings a right perspective to them.

[ChristChild]

You're welcome, Nathanael. I wrote that while reflecting on similar feelings I have had before. I realized that agonizing over the situation only damaged me and didn't really help. We have to turn those burdens over to the Lord.

I just wonder what happened to my post, as I didn't remove it? :confused: I would really like to know what happened to it.

I am glad you got to read it before it disappeared.

Shane

PS: I looked around and found that sticky that says poetry is only to be posted in the Workshop area, so that is probably why it disappeared. The point was that I did not post it for a critique, I posted it in answer to what Nathanael was going through. If the boards are going to be this ridiculously restrictive then I won't bother to participate any longer. I know of several other boards where an open forum means an open forum. I'm sorry if I somehow offended the management. It won't happen again, as it can't happen when I don't post.

Goodbye, all. :mad: :(

[wgjones3]

http://4Believers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3098