Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Thursday March 25, 2010

I talked with a grown man who was weeping early this morning (22nd) the reason given was for our country which now has no future. I tried to comfort him with scripture and finally I asked a simple question which changed his tears to rage; at me!

My question may help you or...

"What kind of health care did the Roman Empire provide?"

I personally think that is the best kind.

Having said that I really think life will go on until Jesus comes and then the eternal phase kicks in. Now, in this realm we are living in what the Bible calls "perilous times" and due to this it is important to keep our minds and hearts fixed on the permanency of Christ's coming kingdom. The cause of much anxiety is found in our departure from biblical thinking. The Russian man who was awakened to Christ in the rotting straw of the gulag, Alexander Solzhenitsyn, said:

"The meaning of earthly existence lies not as we have grown used to thinking, in prospering, but in the development of the soul."

We Christians must accept the biblical truth that what the world around us calls catastrophe is merely another opportunity for spiritual growth. Christ not only "prospers" us physically and fiscally but also spiritually and throughout history has placed the major emphasis on the spiritual. It is a fact of history that He has used tough times to accomplish this goal. I have yet to read a glowing testimony of growing in Christ as a result of winning the lottery. Yes, I admit I would be willing to give it a shot.

One of the major beliefs of First Century Christians was their insistence that we who believe are sustained by help from outside the earthly sphere; therefore we do not depend on Caesar in whatever form he presents himself. Our help comes from God. When we move closer to this truth Christian growth and inner power automatically result. Peter touches briefly on this truth: 1 Peter 2:2:

"As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:"

Take a newborn that is crying for its mother's breast and offer it $100 bills and see which it takes. We mistakenly think we have outgrown the simple gospel, thus we hunger.

Larry Lilly Copyright (C) 2010 Use with credit.

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