View source for Book 2 of Musings Absolute Authority and Power

'''The Lord Jesus Christ has absolute authority and absolute power.'''
Think of what it means to be His enemy! Think of what it means to be His friend!

There have been rulers in the world who have had great authority and power. King Xerxes, mentioned in the Book of Esther, was one such monarch. King Nebuchadnezzar was another. However, no emperor who has lived on the earth has approached Jesus Christ in authority and power.

Not only does Christ have all authority in Heaven and on the earth, He also upholds the universe by the word of His power.

We may think of the Lord Jesus as a man of average height, clothed in a white robe. He can appear in this manner if He desires to. Or He could appear in the fullness of His majesty. But this would do us no good for we could not bear to behold such Divine Glory.

Remember, Jesus Christ, the Word, created all things. This includes the angels, the cherubim including Satan himself, as well as the physical universe. Such power is incomprehensible.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 

And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, (Colossians 1:15-19)

Xerxes could not make such claims. Nebuchadnezzar could not make such claims. Cyrus the great could not make such claims.

We of today often look for metaphysical principles that will "work." We want to be our own savior, so to speak. If we are angry we have this physical problem. If we do not forgive people we have that physical problem. By forgiving people and not being angry we can heal ourselves. Who needs the Lord!

But the Lord Jesus is not a metaphysical principal. He is the living Source of all authority and power. When we call on Him He answers prayer. We do not try to exercise faith, or positive thinking, or positive speaking. We call on the Lord. Then He moves His hand and we receive forgiveness, wisdom, a miracle-whatever is needed.

'''Have you ever called on the Lord?'''

We perceive the Christ of the Twenty-third Psalm as a gentle Shepherd who watches over His sheep with kindly concern. Jesus indeed is this.

But then there is the Christ of the Twenty-fourth Psalm. We of today may not be acquainted with this Christ. He may be new to us. He is the King of Glory. He is the Lord-strong and mighty in battle.

Who is this fierce Commander of battle? He certainly does not resemble anyone we have ever associated with the gentle Jesus. Who is this that crushes His enemies until the blood runs for 180 miles to the height of the horses' bridles?

We would expect Jesus to be a gentle person, perhaps wearing a warrior's helmet that looks awkward on Him. He is not! When He is a shepherd He is all shepherd. When He is a warrior He is all warrior.

All animals were created by the Lord Jesus. Jesus created the lion. He Himself is known as the Lion of Judah. The ferocity of the lion was created by Jesus.

The last two chapters of the Book of Revelation refer to Jesus as the Lamb. God always prefers the meekness and gentleness of the Lamb. This is the finest portrayal of Christ, the characterization that will endure for eternity.

But there has been a rebellion in Heaven. Satan, and those who followed him, have set their will against the will of the Father. As in all cases of self-will, whether angelic or human, the poison works until horrors are produced.

The earth today is filled with inhuman actions, all of these reflecting the evil that resulted originally from Satan's rebellion. Rape, murder, thievery are common. Children are sold into prostitution. Infants are aborted. It is a wild carnage set to jungle drums. And it is going to get worse-much worse than the inhabitants of Sodom at their deepest pits of degradation. Satan does not have much time left and he is going to make the most of the few days left to him.

We in America are soft when it comes to the judgment of criminals, reflecting Satan's hope that the Father will not be hard on him.

The Lord Jesus is not soft. He is patient, but not soft. As soon as the Father gives the Word, the almighty Christ will rise up and begin to avenge Himself on all who have destroyed the earth.

The murderers, the abusers of children, the adulterers, the liars, the thieves-all who harm other people will be harmed. That which they have done shall be done to them. No mercy will be shown to those who have shown no mercy.

Nature shields us from prolonged pain. We fall unconscious. We sleep. We die. All of these permit us to escape pain.

In the spirit realm we cannot fall unconscious. We cannot sleep. We may seek death but it will elude us. There simply is no escape from pain.

The Lord told us that some will be beaten with few lashes; some with many. Paul informed us that some will be saved as by fire. I guess we think the lashes will not be real lashes and the fire will not burn us.

Because we are soft in America our preaching is soft. The unscriptural doctrine of the pre-tribulation "rapture" really appeals to Americans. If you couple the rapture teaching with grace as it is taught currently, you will attract Americans. Just think! "We can act as we please, and when the Lord returns we will be caught up to Heaven. Isn't grace wonderful! Jesus is too kind for words!"

And there will be good ol' Jesus to welcome us home. "Welcome, good and faithful servants. Enter my joy!"

But we have been neither good nor faithful, and the Muslims are filled with hatred toward America because the Christians have been neither good nor faithful.

If I am hearing the Lord correctly, we need to start preparing ourselves for hardships such as few Americans have experienced. Millions may die. The coming war against Iraq may not be over as quickly as we might hope.

I am as patriotic as the next person. I enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during World War Two when I was seventeen years of age. But I will tell you one thing. It does not matter how powerful our military is; if God does not help us we are going to suffer.

The Father has given all authority and power to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Christ at His will can stop wars or permit them to take place. He can give victory to any country of His choice. He is able to intervene at any level of combat and protect or not protect. If we do go to war, the outcome is in the hands of the One who created the heavens and the earth.

I notice our government is not giving as much credit to God as was the case formerly. Oh there are occasional mentions of God, but there is a lot of resistance. It seems a substantial part of our citizenry have little faith in God, preferring to trust in the physical world, in things they can see. This is not good.

We can talk about abortion rights, freedom of speech, and homosexuality all we want to. We may think Jesus is agreeing with us, but He is not. Jesus is interested in righteous behavior, not in the theory of democracy or any other philosophy of government.

Aborting the development of a child is the same as throwing the infant in the fires of Molech. Killing children was wrong when Israel invaded Canaan, and killing children is still an abomination to God.

We may think free speech is wonderful. But the Book of James tells us that we need to discipline our tongue, and that sometimes it is set on fire by Hell. This certainly is the case with some of the things that are said in our country.

Whether we know it or not, if behavior is not governed by God's eternal moral laws, the laws that are in our conscience until it is warped by our culture, we are going to be punished. God is not interested in free speech when it violates His moral laws. We in America are in a pretty sad state when the mildest attempts to control some of the moral filth on the Internet is met with cries of outrage from civil libertarians. Even librarians, usually thought of as being decent people, have joined the rush to allow children to be exposed to witchcraft and all forms of lust and perversion.

As far as homosexuality, it is not a new alternative lifestyle. It probably is as old as man. It is one of the sins that is mentioned in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. The Old Testament states that for man to lie with man is detestable, and both of them must be killed. The New Testament declares that men who commit indecent acts with other men will receive in themselves the "due penalty for their perversion."

Americans are not entering some new enlightened age. Rather we are regressing to the sins that always have resulted in the destruction of strong countries.

The Lord Jesus can do anything He wants to at any time He chooses. He sits as "King of the flood," meaning that when there is confusion all around us, He brings us through safely when we place our trust in Him. I think there are difficult times ahead, and the person who learns to walk with Jesus will have a wonderful Friend to help him or her during times of danger and distress.

But woe! woe! woe to that individual who trusts in his money or education or physical strength to enable him to survive and help his family during the coming days, but who does not look to Christ to help him!

Woe! woe! woe to that nation that trusts in its armed forces, or looks to other countries for protection, and does not pray to God and give glory to Him. That nation, now so wealthy and powerful, will become a beggar among the nations of the world. It has gloried in its own strength. But, like Nebuchadnezzar, it will be humbled until it learns that it is God who lifts up one country and brings down another.

At one time we Americans gave glory to God. At one time the leaders of our various governmental bodies spoke reverently of our need of God's help. But no more. Now we are cynical. The individual who calls on the Lord for help is regarded as some kind of misfit.

'''I think we will learn better in the future.'''

Pride goes before a fall, it is said. So it will be true that America will be humbled at the hand of Jesus Christ; that is, if He is merciful toward us.

'''What a Friend we have in Jesus!'''

We are not wise if we ignore Him who holds all things in His nail-scarred hands. It may be that in our day of trouble He will not be ready to help us. Then what shall we, who are no more than intelligent dust, do to save ourselves? Where shall we go for help? Where shall we turn when our loved ones are in danger of being killed with poison, or viruses, or radiation?

'''I think we had better give some thought to these things before calamity falls on us.'''

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. (Mark 28:18)