God Is Our Strength

Psalm 46 God is our Stregnth

On Saturday last week this nation (UK) ideological believed that humanity was coming of age and poverty could be made history, On Wednesday London was a sea of optimism and celebration delighting in gaining the 2012 Olympics But on Thursday another ideological dream made it all pale into insignificance as the four bombs exploded brining the city of London to an abrupt halt!

We live in a troubled world, and yet to a great extent many of us are isolated from it, w feel far removed as if we are cocooned in a bubble. But on Thursday 7th July in the City of London, as a number of strategically placed bombs were placed in tube stations and upon a bus the death toll so far reaching 49 people and injuring over 700 our impregnable bubble was burst.

God uses strange ministers Habakuk 1: 5-7.

At the time of hearing the news I was with a fellow minister in prayer, praying that God would wake this nation up! After prayer we heard from somebody that a bus and a number of underground tubes had been blown up.

Close to home

My college then received a phone call from his mother explaining that his sister was safe as she was in London at the time. She had just come out of Kings cross-station and had missed the explosion by minutes, she was safe others were not. At that point I realised that Danielle’s brother works on the buses in London, immediately I phoned Danielle’s mum. He was safe but others were not.

In a troubled world Christians need to have a clear Biblical understanding of life. Because when evil takes place and tragedies happen we can with confidence know Gods presence.A Christ centred worldview is like a raft composed of 4 mighty trunks: Creation, the fall, redemption and Christ’s final return with these four central pillars we should be able to negotiate the torrents and the rapids that will come against us in life.

(Notice I said negotiate, it will not be easy)

As Christians we should have this Biblical framework in our minds and hearts because it will enable us to responded and help in such circumstances. Enabling us to answer some of the difficult questions like ‘Why did this happen?’ ‘Where is God?’ What hope is there?’

These questions cannot be answered with glib platitudes, but when responding to such questions we must have in view the Biblical framework but also answers must be shared in a spirit of love but not at the expense of truth.

I want to share with you a few truths from psalm 46.

The first one is deeply worrying but completely Biblical a Christian doctrine which is hardly ever proclaimed, I consider it to be so, because its so unpalatable to the human mind.

First Judgement is coming.

The second one offers everybody hope in trouble times if only they be still and know that He is God. The last one is the bedrock for a Christian the assurance of His presence in times of trouble and ultimate peace in the world to come.

1) Judgement is coming. V2,v3,v6

Judgement to come is made light of today, with films like Arnold Swarzanigger in Judgement day. But intrinsic in each and every human being is the sense of Judgement, we expect it, don’t we! We have our criminal justice system with our law courts justice is at the heart of humanity because it’s at the heart of God. God is just and he demands Justice.

Psalm 9:16 The Lord is known by His Justice.

Psalm 11:7 The Lord is righteous he loves justice.

Psalm 89:14 Righteousness and Justice are the foundation of your throne

Why is their judgement? Doctrine of the fall and sin

Because God is just a righteous judgement is coming, and we see the signs of it in this eschatological psalm. Remember in Noah’s day.

Gen.6:5. The Lord saw how great mans wickedness on earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time

What will be the signs of a pending judgement?

The rise of Nations in uproar, kingdoms fall v6

More wars in the 20th century than all the others put together. In the last four years a rise in the nations fighting against each other: Particular a rise of an ancient culture revealing to us an extreme form of Islam.

We have had the embassy bombings around the world, Sept11th 2001, the Bali nightclub bombing, the Madrid train bombing and now London all have been attacks on the western civilisation.

Countless Christians and those who convert to Christianity in other parts of the world are facing persecution and death in places like Indonesia, Africa, China, India, Pakistan, Iraq, Vietnam, Nigeria, Egypt, Jordan, Philippines I could go on and even put names to the people and now we see its our turn!