by Emmett Smith

"Dec. 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy…" – Franklin D. Roosevelt uttered this phrase in a speech to the Congress of the United States on December 8 following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. They attacked early on a Sunday morning, correctly expecting that that particular timing would ensure maximum unpreparedness on the part of the Americans. And although the carrier fleet had been ordered out to sea and was spared, the attack was certainly a success. But surely there's another historical event that is even more infamous.

It's recorded in Genesis chapter 3, and has been the subject of great secular literature. "Paradise Lost!", the newspapers might proclaim in inch-high bold type. Milton would surely agree. And we've been at war ever since. President Roosevelt declaimed the treachery of the Japanese in preparing for war while speaking peace through their embassage. Their treachery pales in comparison to that of the evil one! And he's plotting your demise.

That's right, he wants to take your soul as battle spoil. And if he succeeds you'll have only yourself to blame. Unlike the sailors at Pearl Harbor, we've been warned. We've been told to be watchful, vigilant, circumspect, as we walk this life. We've been taught about his deceit, his craftiness, and his subtlety. And repeated warnings throughout the New Testament inform us as to the nature of the conflict and of our foe. And most importantly, we don't stand alone in the conflict. "But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one" (2 Thess. 3:3). See also Ephesians 6:10-18.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, 'For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.' No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:35-39).

by Emmett Smith

A British newspaper article dated last June 16 discussed the upsurge in paganism and witchcraft in the U.K. over the past decade. The article credited television, the internet, environmentalism and feminism as partially responsible for the increase. It stated that the number of visitors to Stonehenge had roughly quadrupled since the mid-nineties. I believe Britain is at least a generation ahead of the U.S in achieving a truly secular society. But the U.S. is certainly headed in that direction.

Multiculturalism insists that all of these different belief systems are equally valid, so those who believe that the Bible is absolute truth and that Jesus is the only way of salvation are not readily tolerated. We’ve all heard the statement that there are no such things as ghosts. But if you look to scripture you won’t find that idea at all. Instead, both Old and New Testament scripture simply forbid the Godly person’s involvement. And that includes learning about these things.

Christians must resist absorbing popular culture. In fact, our real challenge is to influence our culture for the better.

Thus says the LORD: "Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens because the nations are dismayed at them, for the customs of the peoples are vanity” (Jeremiah 10:2,3).

by Emmett Smith

"Hurry up and wait." That old cliché is undoubtedly familiar to anyone who served in the armed forces. Although I didn’t serve I’ve heard that phrase all my life and it has been validated by many who did serve. Waiting seems to be something most of us have a problem with. We resent having to wait to see our physician, having to wait to renew our driver’s license, etc. Our time is valuable! How dare he or she or they make us wait!

However, if we think about it a bit, "our" time is really the Lord’s time. It is He who has determined not only when and how long we shall live, but also the boundaries and "allotted periods" of the nations themselves (Acts 17:26). No one, individual or nation, exists on any time but the Lord’s. We need to remember those facts when we get impatient. Does the apparent progress of the abortionists and fornication advocates and various other groups and individuals who oppose righteousness get you down? Remind yourself that He is in control.

Isaiah told Judah and Israel that, "the Lord waits to be gracious to you" and, "blessed are all those who wait for him" (Isaiah 30:18). It must have been difficult for the righteous remnant to wait for the Lord’s good time. But undoubtedly those who did were blessed, and more importantly they were blessings to others as they patiently carried out the Lord’s will. To those who had obviously given up waiting on the Lord Isaiah cried,

 "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint"

(Isaiah 40:28-31).

Peter assures us that, "the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation" (2 Peter 3:15), and warns of the scoffers who will deliberately overlook the fact of God’s control and will try to entrap others as they ask, "where is the promise of his coming?" (2 Peter 3:4). They’ll remind you that He hasn’t returned as He promised. They’ll try to shipwreck your faith. But Peter has also reminded us that just as the Lord rescued Lot from Sodom and Gomorra, He, "knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment" (2 Peter 2:9).

It’s worth the wait!

by Emmett Smith

Have you ever heard of Neville Chamberlain? He was the British Prime minister who was succeeded by Sir Winston Churchill. He is notorious for his appeasement of Hitler. He only sought "peace for our time"! But he failed to recognize that he was dealing with an enemy who could not be trusted and who did not want peace. Jeremiah wrote of some in his day who sound similar to Chamberlain. They falsely contradicted Jeremiah’s prophecy of Judah’s destruction, "saying ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace" (Jeremiah 8:11).

Yet peace could have been theirs had they simply turned to the Lord. Solomon wisely said that, "When a man’s ways please the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him" (Proverbs 16:7). However, we should never forget that the evil one is not trustworthy and that he doesn’t want peace! We are engaged in a spiritual war, whether we choose to admit it or not. Thus Paul’s admonitions regarding the armor and offensive weapons of the Christian warrior as recorded in Ephesians 6:10-20. Read that passage and remember that we are at war, and we will not be at peace with that enemy until the Lord’s return.

As David wrote,

"Mark the blameless and behold the upright, for there is a future for the man of peace.

But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the future of the wicked shall be cut off.

The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their stronghold in the time of trouble.

The LORD helps them and delivers them; he delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in him." (Psalms 37:37-40)

Our salvation is from the Lord. If we take refuge in Him we have a future! We shall be victorious and we shall see peace. But as Isaiah said, "’There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked’" (Isaiah 57:21). Paul told the Ephesians that Jesus Himself is our peace, having broken down the wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile, and having reconciled us both to (made peace with) God in one body (the church) through the cross (Ephesians 2:14-18). As He Himself said, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid" (John 14:27).

So if we are at peace with God, we may acquire "the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding". Even in the midst of turmoil. That peace is not attainable from the world!

"do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6,7)    

by Emmett Smith

As Moses prepared himself and the children of Israel for Joshua's succession and their entry into the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 32:46,47), he issued a solemn warning. His exhortation to the people was that that they would take all his warnings to heart, that they would command them to their children, and that they should "be careful to do all the words of this law". In emphasizing the importance of keeping the law he said, "For it is no empty word for you, but your very life". God's word is not empty, but full of life for those who heed it.

I'm sure most of us have heard or perhaps said of someone that he or she should "get a life". The implication is that some lifestyles are better than others. When Jesus said, " I came that they may have life and have it abundantly" (John 10:10), wasn't that His point? His mission was to make the abundant life available to all who would accept it, life so abundant that it transcends death itself! In his description of Jesus as the divine Word, John told us that, "In him was life, and the life was the light of men" (John 1:4).

Choose Christ. Choose life.

"Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator" (Colossians 3:2-10).