WHAT IF?
At the end of September, Eastern Canada was subjected to apparently the worst storm ever to hit this area. Except for changes to the landscape, most people, although not all, escaped with little major damage. And not long after this, a second storm did much greater damage to the state of Florida.
There have been multiple examples of severe weather around the globe of late: droughts in parts of the US and Africa, as well as Europe; massive rain in other areas; persistent flooding in areas such as Pakistan; and other unusual weather events. Much, if not all of this, has been blamed on climate change, caused by the activity of man and the use of fossil fuels.
But what if there is more to the story than just the activity of man? We have been told in Deuteronomy 30:15 that mankind could choose between “…life and good, death and evil…” This was based on the blessings that God said would come “…if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God…” or the curses that would follow “…if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God…” (Deuteronomy 28:1,15). Likewise, in Judges, there are multiple examples of what developed when Israel obeyed God and the blessings that ensued and the misfortune that befell the country when they turned away from Him.
In addition to weather changes, multiple other events are happening around the globe which brings up the question asked to Jesus by His disciples in Matthew. Chapter 24, verse 3 says: “…‘Tell us’ [they said]…‘what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?’” Jesus simply replied: “…‘Take heed that no one deceives you…You will hear of wars and rumors of wars…these are [but] the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:4,6,8).
One of the primary problems today seems to be sorting out real news from disinformation or “fake news” as one person puts it. The war in Ukraine, as well as wars in other places, and rumours of nuclear conflict, as well as war with China are widespread. “…There will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places…” (Matthew 24:7). It is well known that we have just gone through three years of a pandemic with COVID, and both HIV and polio are resurging. There have been at least fifty significant earthquakes so far in the world this year and at least five famines threatening lives in various regions. “…many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another…And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:10,12). Such is evident all around.
“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring…[with]…men’s hearts failing them from fear…” Luke 21:25-26) These scripture describes a lot of what has just been happening in many places. All around the world, fear is probably at the highest peak it has been for many years. Although the world has experienced all of these problems before, it seems now that they are all developing at the same time.
Now, if one does not believe in God, then all of the above may just be silly rambling. Then, after all, the Bible would not be reliable and really just a gathering of stories and fables. But what if, as Christians believe and evidence supports, the Bible is just what it says it is and God is just who the Bible declares Him to be? Then perhaps there is more behind what is happening in the world than just human pride and man-made climate change. What if, because of our intransigence, God has once more allowed mankind’s own foolish ways to dominate and lead us into the disasters that we appear to be facing? What if there really is coming an age of tribulation “…such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:21-22).
What if you really have to be among the “elect” to avoid God’s wrath and eventual judgement? What if, the only way to do so is to follow Christ’s statement that He is “…the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through Me.” (John 14:6) What if the way is not as easy as we’ve often been led to believe? Matthew 7:14,13 says: “…narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. [So] enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.”
What if there are not as many people on the right path as we ourselves think? What if the Gospel has been so watered down and liberalized that we no longer get the true picture anymore? What if the words the Bible are literally true and the curses proclaimed by God, back in Genesis, are real? “…Cursed is the ground for your sake…Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you…” (Genesis 3:17-18). What if the punishments for disobedience as listed in Deuteronomy 28:15-28 are equally valid?
But it shall come to pass,
if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God,
to observe carefully all His commandments and His statutes
which I command today, that all these
curses will come upon you and overtake you:
Cursed shall you be in the city, and…in the country.
Cursed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
Cursed shall be the fruit of your body and the produce of your land…
The Lord will make the plague cling to you…
[and] will strike you with consumption, with fever, with inflammation…
The Lord will change the rain of your land to powder and dust.
The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies…
[and] will strike you with madness and blindness and confusion of heart.
These and other listed all come “…upon you and pursue you and overtake you, until you are destroyed…Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything” (Deuteronomy 28:45,47).
Are hurricanes, tornados, floods, famines, wars, etc., all just the makings of mans activities or is perhaps something else more involved than we realize? What if God is trying to teach us the same lessons He gave to the Israelites in the days of the Book of Judges? Of course, many would consider this unthinkable. But just what if? What if?
It is certainly something to think about.
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