Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Monday August 14, 2006

A friend of many years, which if you think about is about as rare as the Hope Diamond, said to me, "Larry, what is wrong with the people of the world, can't they see the writing on the wall?"

My friend was referring to the recent, ten-twenty years of world history and as history does repeat, was at a loss to grasp the 'why' of no one seeming to care about our apparent downward slide into the abyss.

In light of world history and the rise and decline of civilizations following near exactly the same pattern in their fall, with further light from biblical prophecy, why are the multitudes failing to see what is happening and refusing to take steps to stop or at least hinder this cycle?

My friends cite to "Writing on the wall" is a reference to the famous finger of God writing on the wall during Belshazzar’s drunken feast in ancient Babylon and the announcement of the doom of his kingdom. The context of this famous incident reads like a modern party or the bar and dancing party at many Christian weddings. You recall the personal part of the foreboding message; "Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting."

Historically when someone is 'weighed in the balances' and comes up short they will suffer loss or even as in Belshazzar’s case the loss of life itself.

So, why? Why do we persist, as did Belshazzar in doing our own thing in spite of the evidence of God warning us in our hearts to 'turn around?'

As I mused on this seeming willful blindness I received a quote from another savant friend, Austin Bennett, which appears at least to lend insight into the reason for the continued free fall of Western Civilization:

"Most of us can read the writing on the wall; we just assume it's addressed to someone else."

- Ivern Ball

Admittedly the sins of this Babylonian King were enormous, yet one final sacrilege put the balances over the edge; the using of the vessels of the Temple for his own pleasure, using the sacred to show off.

I wonder how this might apply in our day to the insistence that our churches etc are for our comfort and pleasure, rather than a place to serve Christ in spirit and in truth?

Larry Lilly

Copyright © 2006 Use with credit.

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