Jackson Jambalaya

 I’ve been comforted by God’s Word. Around 835 B.C. Joel wrote the Word God had given him about the end times and judgement. After describing the good and bad things that will come out of the last days, Joel writes, “Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the Lord your God and there is no other; and My people will never be put to shame. And it will come about after this that I will pour out My Spirit on all mankind; and your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.” Joel 2:27-28

Maybe God is speaking with us through dreams and revelations? We saw a lot of bad news last weekend with two U.S. soldiers and a civilian interpreter being killed in Syria. Then one or more people attacked students at Brown University killing two and injuring nine others who were studying for final exams. As we were trying to digest these attacks we learned a father and son had attacked Jews in Australia who were celebrating the first night of Hanukkah. As of this writing at least 16 people were killed including the father and many others were injured.

Acts of antisemitism have increased around the world the past ten years, particularly since the Islamic terrorist group Hamas slaughtered more than 1,200 in a surprise attack on October 7, 2023, in Israel. Old Testament prophets like Joel have predicted “the nations” in the end times will attack and overcome Israel until Messiah comes in the nick of time to save the nation.

Here we are nearly 3,000 years after Joel penned his famous lines wondering whether we are living in the last days. Both testaments in the Christian Bible prophesy Messiah’s physical return and salvation of Israel in the Old Testament and is clearly the one prophecy in the New Testament that dominates all other prophecies that Jesus will return to earth, will judge the nations, and will set up His Kingdom forever.

The world is not a safe place. There are many people who are willing and able to attack innocent people for many reasons. Why hasn’t God just destroyed all the “bad” people so the rest of us could go on living in peace? That question and its derivatives have confounded men and women of all faiths from the beginning.

Jesus taught His disciples only God is good. We reject that and believe some people are good. It’s just a matter of degrees. God is not talking in relative terms. God says He is absolutely perfect in every way; He is 100% righteous. Humans can neither understand nor comprehend this truth.

Christmas is the season God reveals His plan to give His own righteousness to anyone who will believe Him and accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior. God has given us Christmas. Let each of us receive Him in grace and truth.

“Every good thing bestowed and every perfect gift is from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation, or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures.” James 1:17-18