Denison Forum
Dr. Jim Denison
Hamas stated Monday that it would postpone the release of three hostages scheduled to be freed this weekend to protest delays in deliveries of humanitarian goods. President Trump then warned Hamas to release all its Gaza hostages by Saturday or “all hell is going to break out.”
Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined Mr. Trump’s demand: “If Hamas does not return our hostages by Saturday noon, the cease-fire will end and the IDF will resume intense fighting until the final defeat of Hamas.”
Yesterday, I was privileged to meet one of my longtime Israeli friends for lunch. He and I have led more than thirty study tours in the Holy Land together over the years and have been together often in the States. He is currently in the United States on a speaking tour. I asked him for his thoughts on the hostage crisis and, as usual, his perspective was both brilliant and enlightening.
What’s more, I found his thoughts relevant to an even larger context that touches us all. To make this point, let’s put my friend’s response into a larger cultural context. More Here
The post below is from Joel Rosenberg, a man I have deep respect for like I do for Dr. Jim Denison.
Praying for Gaza: A Biblical perspective on love and judgment
PTL! Trump says Russia agrees to ‘immediately’ begin negotiations to end war in Ukraine
Why pray for world peace? Billy Graham answers that question.
God hasn’t promised that our world will ever be the peaceful and trouble-free place we all seek—not until Christ comes again to bring the present age to an end and establish His perfect rule of justice and peace. Then, the Bible says, “Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore” (Isaiah 2:4).
Does this mean it’s useless to pray for our leaders or for peace? No, certainly not! For one thing, God has commanded us to pray for them, and failing to do so would be an act of disobedience on our part. Think how different our world would be if we prayed regularly for those to whom God has entrusted leadership! I often think of Paul’s words to his young pastor friend Timothy: “I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives” (1 Timothy 2:1-2).
In addition, what if everyone stopped praying for peace, and for those who are trying to bring it about? I have no doubt that the world would be in even worse shape! We don’t always know what effect our prayers have—but that mustn’t keep us from praying.
Don’t let cynicism, or doubt, or anything else keep you from praying for our world and its leaders. God’s promise is sure: “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).
Billy Graham was once asked, how corrupt would the world have to get before God will decide to intervene and bring it all to an end?
Yes, the world does seem to be getting worse and worse, both morally and spiritually. We have become like the people of Jeremiah’s day: “Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush” (Jeremiah 6:15). Shortly after Jeremiah uttered those words, God sent judgment upon them and their nation collapsed. That could happen to us.
What is the problem? The problem is that we have left God out of our lives. Whenever any nation does that, the inevitable result is moral and spiritual chaos. Instead of following God’s moral laws, we substitute human lusts and desires in their place. We decide what’s right and wrong, instead of seeking God’s will and God’s law.
Are we nearing the time when God will intervene and Christ will come again to establish His Kingdom of perfect justice and righteousness? We don’t know; the Bible warns us against making predictions about this. But the Bible does give us a number of warning signs, many of which we see today. In the last days, the Bible says, “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy” (2 Timothy 3:2).
God won’t tolerate evil forever; some day Christ will come again, and when He does all evil will be judged. Are you ready for that day? You can be by turning to Christ in repentance and faith, and committing your life to Him.
Our Choices in the Midst of Tragedy by Charles Stanley
Imagine what it felt like to be in Job’s shoes. Warriors, fire, and wind wiped out his fortune and killed his children. Then, his body was so covered with boils that he scratched at the inflamed skin with broken pottery. Had Job not believed in the Lord’s faithfulness, he probably would have taken his wife’s advice to just “curse God and die” (Job 2:9).
Job was brought low, and he didn’t know why—nor did he ever find out the reason. Thanks to Scripture, we are privy to the conversation between God and Satan, but the Lord didn’t share those details with Job. Left in the dark, he had to decide if his faith in God’s goodness would stand.
Job decided to trust God in the midst of tragedy (Job 42:2). He could have railed against the Lord, as his wife suggested. Or he might have followed his friends’ advice and racked his brain for some unconfessed sin. But neither of those actions would have been fruitful. Instead, Job chose to view everything as part of the divine plan, acknowledging the Lord’s right to do whatever He wanted for the glory of His name (Job 1:21).
Accepting the good that God sends our way is easy. Our challenge is to receive tragedy with a willing attitude and a teachable spirit. Chance is not part of the equation—nothing comes into our life except through the Lord’s permission.
PONDER THIS From Adrian Rogers:
Love is the highest good, but forced love is a contradiction. Forced love is not love at all. In order to love, we must be free to love, to choose to love, and in order to choose to love, we have to be able to choose not to love. So, God gave us the choice. And Adam and Eve chose not to listen to God. They didn’t trust Him; they trusted their way instead. Now, that sinful nature has been passed down to us from generation to generation.
So why doesn’t God just destroy evil? Why doesn’t God just step in, obliterate the devil, and eradicate all sin? Why doesn’t God go into every cancer ward and empty them out? Why doesn’t God take away the curse from nature? Why doesn’t God make it impossible for people to sin?
We’re right back to the original question. If God were to destroy evil, God would destroy every opportunity of choice, and if God would destroy every opportunity for choice, then God would destroy every opportunity for love, the highest good. God knows His plan and He is taking care of the problem of evil whether we feel like it or not. He has taken care of it through Christ and will put an end to evil once and for all when Christ returns.
- What are some of the evils of the world that challenge you?
- How does it encourage you to know God is taking care of the problem of evil? How can you trust Him to take care of the struggles of your life? Praise God for resolving the problem of evil perfectly and completely in His timing.
