Revelation 7:14,16-17 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said unto me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
Ah Friends, how I wish that were true right now. So much unnecessary suffering is taking place in our world. Two headlines caught my eye in the Sunday paper. One trumpeted, ‘A vicious circle of misery,’ then went on to talk about soaring food prices that have recently triggered food protests in places like Mexico City, Haiti, Africa, India, Thailand, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, with violent clashes in the long lines for subsidized bread in Egypt. The prices for basic staples such as rice, corn, wheat, and soya have increased enormously over the last year, and consequently for all the products in which they’re used, sadly leading to more people going hungry around the world. The problem seems to stem from a combination of less food production, more farmland being turned into urban centres, with what is farmed beset by unusual climatic conditions, higher consumption of meat and dairy products in emerging economies, escalating energy costs, profiteering and increased production of biofuels that feed vehicles rather than people. Definitely not a pretty picture. But the second headline is the one that really tore me up. That said, ‘Let them eat dirt.’ Hn! And it seems to be factual, for the article claims that in Haiti, which already has the unenviable distinction of being the poorest country in the West, ‘a destitute population is turning increasingly to mud patties made of dirt, oil and sugar, which at least quieten the stomach.’ Oh Friends, how can that be eh? Humans reduced to eating dirt! It’s a disgrace! But who’s to blame? How can we fix it? What’s next? Where will it end? All questions with no easy or certain answers. And Friends, don’t think we’re insulated from it, because we’re not. Just like the latest catch all phrase is the global economy, well this is global hunger and poverty. The so called first class nations are having their problems too. It’s really a vicious circle, for though we’re growing stuff for biofuels, which increases the price of everything connected, the price of oil and gas is still skyrocketing. So where’s the benefit? What shall become of us all? Are the last days upon us? Shall we soon become a part of that uncountable multitude of all nations and tongues that John saw, clothed in white robes, standing before the throne of grace, praising God? (Vs.9-10) Those who had come out of great tribulation, but had washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, and would never hunger or thirst again? Oh Friends, a believer’s life is not easy. It’s hard for a man to believe in spiritual things when he’s hungry and in need. But that’s when we need to the most. And though we must all pay our earthly dues, lots of benefits are still available: LOVE, Trust, Honour, Forgiveness, Mercy, Grace, Glory, Joy, Peace. And they’re all free. So I’m asking us today, not to give up. The journey might be somewhat rough, but look towards the destination and it’s glorious promise: When the Lamb on the throne shall feed us, and lead us to living fountains of waters, and the Most High God himself, shall wipe away all the tears from our eyes. What an awesome homecoming to look forward to! Much LOVE!…heaven’s benefits…more than make up for earth’s difficulties…
Ah Friends, how I wish that were true right now. So much unnecessary suffering is taking place in our world. Two headlines caught my eye in the Sunday paper. One trumpeted, ‘A vicious circle of misery,’ then went on to talk about soaring food prices that have recently triggered food protests in places like Mexico City, Haiti, Africa, India, Thailand, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, with violent clashes in the long lines for subsidized bread in Egypt. The prices for basic staples such as rice, corn, wheat, and soya have increased enormously over the last year, and consequently for all the products in which they’re used, sadly leading to more people going hungry around the world. The problem seems to stem from a combination of less food production, more farmland being turned into urban centres, with what is farmed beset by unusual climatic conditions, higher consumption of meat and dairy products in emerging economies, escalating energy costs, profiteering and increased production of biofuels that feed vehicles rather than people. Definitely not a pretty picture. But the second headline is the one that really tore me up. That said, ‘Let them eat dirt.’ Hn! And it seems to be factual, for the article claims that in Haiti, which already has the unenviable distinction of being the poorest country in the West, ‘a destitute population is turning increasingly to mud patties made of dirt, oil and sugar, which at least quieten the stomach.’ Oh Friends, how can that be eh? Humans reduced to eating dirt! It’s a disgrace! But who’s to blame? How can we fix it? What’s next? Where will it end? All questions with no easy or certain answers. And Friends, don’t think we’re insulated from it, because we’re not. Just like the latest catch all phrase is the global economy, well this is global hunger and poverty. The so called first class nations are having their problems too. It’s really a vicious circle, for though we’re growing stuff for biofuels, which increases the price of everything connected, the price of oil and gas is still skyrocketing. So where’s the benefit? What shall become of us all? Are the last days upon us? Shall we soon become a part of that uncountable multitude of all nations and tongues that John saw, clothed in white robes, standing before the throne of grace, praising God? (Vs.9-10) Those who had come out of great tribulation, but had washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, and would never hunger or thirst again? Oh Friends, a believer’s life is not easy. It’s hard for a man to believe in spiritual things when he’s hungry and in need. But that’s when we need to the most. And though we must all pay our earthly dues, lots of benefits are still available: LOVE, Trust, Honour, Forgiveness, Mercy, Grace, Glory, Joy, Peace. And they’re all free. So I’m asking us today, not to give up. The journey might be somewhat rough, but look towards the destination and it’s glorious promise: When the Lamb on the throne shall feed us, and lead us to living fountains of waters, and the Most High God himself, shall wipe away all the tears from our eyes. What an awesome homecoming to look forward to! Much LOVE!…heaven’s benefits…more than make up for earth’s difficulties…
SCRIP-BITS 