Knock and it shall be opened unto you.
Matthew 7:7
Doors exist to keep unwanted people out. Christ did not say what door it was that He was speaking of, whether the door of opportunity or of intimacy with Him. I tend to think He meant the latter, that it is the searching heart who finds Him. But He laid down a general principle for us in how we respond to the callings and urgings of His Spirit: we are to persevere in our pursuit if all things spiritual.
If you feel distant from Him, realize that the very awareness of this distance is given by Him. Now do your part in drawing near Him. Speak to Him in prayer. Confess whatever sin He brings to your attention. Praise Him and thank Him until He shows you His face by His Spirit (2 Cor 4:6). Often The sense of His absence is due to a moral matter we are unwilling to bend on. Until we let Him break us in His loving way, we will remain in this condition.
Christ opens the door to His presence for His followers who keep knocking. That door is not one He desires to keep shut.
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In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.
John 16:33
Our hearts go out to those killed and injured in the terrorist bombing in Boston, USA, today. The outrage is of such a nature that we cannot express how utterly disgusting and despicable this is. The War on Terror is a fight against people who want nothing less than the complete destruction of the West. This is not a war against its armed forces, nor its politicians, nor its financial institutions. It is a war against the West. What possible benefit could come to anyone through this inane bombing of an athletic event? As the details emerge we will hear names if the injured and the dead. It is important to remember that many of the injured will be significantly damaged, unable to live without pain for the rest of their lives.
Christ, of course, knew that these things would happen. He said that the thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy, and that is what we see from these terrorists. What they cannot steal, they kill, and wish to destroy. Numerous articles have recently been released on studies done on the inbreeding of Islamic populations, and the statistics are not encouraging. According to several studies, the inbreeding, specifically the regular marrying of first cousins, has created numerous health issues, as well as those related to intelligence. It is estimated that in Pakistan 70% of all marriages are between first cousins, and studies have shown that I.Q. test scores of children of marriages between first cousins are 10-15 points below those of marriages between people without blood relations. So the problem is not going away anytime soon. The ability to appeal to logic, to reason, to compassion diminishes with each generation. (See http://www.rightsidenews.com/2010081120756/life-and-science/culture-wars/muslim-inbreeding-impacts-on-intelligence-sanity-health-and-society.html)
But Christ said we are not to be defeated. He has overcome this world. His death has paid for the sins of all who believe. His resurrection is the first fruits, or the prototype, of our resurrection. Sorrow and sadness do not remove His power and His ultimate victory over all who oppose Him. He will return one day and our faith in Him lifts us above these problems. We grief, but not without hope, not without the confidence that at the right time and in the right way God shall prove Himself victorious over all.
While we are sad about this event, we also find comfort in the Person and promises of Christ.
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terrorism