7-17-23 Be On the Winning Side

Be On the Winning Side :: By Edwin Tan Published on: October 4, 2022 by Admin10 Category:General Articles A lot of people like me who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s have fond memories of what was on prime-time television. One common denominator was blazing like a shining torch – good always triumphed over evil. Be it a cop show, cowboy western, or wartime actioner – the bad guys always emerged the losers in the end. Such was the expectation meted out by society then, reward for toeing the line and recrimination for not doing so! In the past few years, the friendly order of things known to multitudes has undergone an awful facelift. What was then deemed as appropriate conduct was jettisoned. On the same token – that which was earlier on considered disgusting was celebrated. Many would say that this is absolute insanity. Hard to swallow, especially for decent folk who stayed out of trouble for a good portion of their lives. They would show their displeasure at a needless woe. “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight! Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink, Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away justice from the righteous man!” (Isaiah 5:20-23). It’s not surprising to find quite a number of shell-shocked pew sitters in a quandary about their belief in God. Has He abandoned them? Is there any hint of hope in days that are indeed darkening by the second? It’s more than enough to give cause for faint hearts and sleepless nights. These people would have been unfailing in church attendance and Bible study sessions, then after all that half-baked diligence – it appears to be a smack in the face! Did they truly and genuinely know the Lord all these years, or was it a fleshly ritualistic practice? The latter being the case puts God in a manmade compartment, the things of the world become significant, and the same would apply to the ‘gospels’ of the world. In whatever degree and form, God was removed from the picture. It was doing as they desired, with no one calling the shots. Really? Like it or not, some other was indeed having a big say. He would stick like glue and be virtually impossible to take out – except with total submission to God. Without the grace and mercy of the Heavenly Father, this wicked one has free rein in the affairs of many unbelievers. This he does with deceit in varying forms, which are hard to comprehend. The Lord Jesus Christ has this to say about this wicked one in John 8:43-45: “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me.” In varying degrees, large swathes of humanity have rejected the truth and continue doing so, whether they belong to a practice other than Christianity or profess to be following Christ. Once they fully or partially turn from the truth and believe in fables – this is where the problem begins. The father of lies has more than a foothold over them; he has them like puppets on strings! This is exactly what is happening before many eyes. There are multiple layers of wool impairing their vision to the point that a state of helplessness and hopelessness is reached. Herein sits a big, bad lie about the immediate future. A procession of heightened gloom that precedes a definite doom. There will be no justice, only rip-offs which would be like nightmares come true. The unthinkable is part of the new normal, and the question is, when would one be on the chopping board? Glimmers of hope are almost extinct as the narrative of half-truths pummels many minds through every media available. Worst of all, it seems that evil and lawlessness are winning. Is this going to be part of a rewritten norm for a future society? Easily said, forget being a decent person and be part of the bad company; otherwise, give up hope and jump off a cliff. This is what the father of lies is saying in a loud and seemingly emphatic way each day. It all boils down to an eventual eternity of breathing sulfur amidst unbearable heat! All who turn their backs on God will be subject to these lies. Unbelief ultimately fosters that weakness when faced with an onslaught of deceit. Only God can unshackle anybody that is in this matrix of mayhem. It can only be so if there is total submission to the Heavenly Father through believing in His Living Word. It translates into a cessation of every form of rebellion and dissent against the Lord of Lords. God is truly a loving Heavenly Father, like no other. If He could send His only begotten Son to die the worst death ever known to mankind for the iniquity of every individual, His unfailing love for us can never be quantified. He appears to be losing because many believe every bit of that mesmerizing falsehood but pay no regard to His infinite power and resources. God is indeed winning, and He will always remain that way forever. You have to believe in His promises through acknowledging Jesus Christ His Son as the One who can seal you for the day of redemption, which is indeed round the corner. Let the Holy Spirit be the teacher and guide through these tumultuous times. It can never go wrong when all to Father, Son and Holy Spirit you surrender! Yours in Christ Edwin Contact me at edwinuk13@gmail.com