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Over and over again the nations of the world of the bibical old testament obeyed, rebelled and disobeyed. They repented, and then disobeyed again - over and over again and again, and again! Nothing was ever resolved. It still hasn't.

Why?

Throughout the Old Testament, God raises up nations of that time. Then, when that nation's sins reach a certain point, He reveals through His prophets what He will do as punishment . Not only what He will do, but usually the reason why. Even a casusl read of the prophets, one sees a pattern. There are so many raisings up and putting down of nations small and large, that it seems after a while, that there will be no end to it.

So the question arises likewise for the world in general: Why this inability of all nations to find and secure a permanent peace? Why the cycle of nations forming and over time turning to evil and disobedience. Some repent and respond in a positive way, only again, over time, to sink into evils of every imaginable kind.

So much of the Old Testament of the Bible contains this record of peoples and nations rising ad then drifting into horrible evils and disobedience to God. God then uses another nation to punish severely that nation and destroy it, only to have another to rise in power and the cycle begins all over again. The risings and fallings seem endless.

This reveals the reason for the New Testament of the Bible. The lessons and solutions to the failures of the Old Testament are revealed in the New Testament. The explanation is simply this:

Mankind cannot consistantly live a righteous life, whether the individual, or entire nations. God uses the OT to prove the point. In order to "fix" the problem, God knew that certain events would be required. All of human history had revealed certain realities:

One: Mankind is completely incapable of sustaining a righteous and peaceful condition. The solution would have to be a two-fold approach:

First: there must be a means of blotting out the guilt of mankind before progress out of the human weakness that caused the inability to live peacefully could be realized. There would have to be a way to even the score - or else there could be no justice.

Second: There must a means for altering the nature of mankind that causes the inability to sustain a righteous and peaceful life. This was accomplished when the Holy Spirit - "another Helper" - who came to live in the spirit of man and enable him to realize a permanent change of the nature that had plagued him since the problem began in the Garden of Eden.

This was completely accomplished with the coming of the only One who could even the score - Jesus Christ. His death on the cross paid for all evils - past, present, and future. Jesus evened the score for all humanity if it becomes willing to accept the payment.

But once the score had been evened, there must be acceptance, and then a means of sustaining righteousness after the repentance that Jesus purchased by dying on the cross had been made possible and accepted. His death paid for the sins of all mankind, but how could believers keep from drifting back into sin - the human problem that had plagued mankind since the world began?

While talking to His disciples just before His death and resurrection, Jesus told them He would send them "another comforter", one that would be with them and in them forever. the Holy Spirit would enable them to change and to sustain a righteousness that could never be attained by mankind down through history - the righteousnss that could not be accomplished by the nations of the OT and of the entire world.

Is there hope for our world? Will there ever be an end some day to seemingly perpetual esculation of the threat of wars, suffering and death?

Yes.

But mankind will not bring the end of world wars, suffering and death...Jesus Christ's return is the only hope for the world...for you, and for me.

Now permanent peace is possible. Now that elusive inconsistency of obedience and righteousness could now become a reality. The whole story is now in the New Testament - the story how the saving of mankind can be accomplished and bring forth eternal and righteous life!

But there are many more rivers to cross - for Christians and humanity; many more staggering events; more suffering. It will all turn out for good, but at a price. Mankind will not learn any other way. Jesus tells us how:

"And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened or troubled, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in place after place; All this is but the beginning [the early pains] of the [c]birth pangs [of the [d]intolerable anguish].

Then they will hand you over to suffer affliction and tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended and repelled and will [e]begin to distrust and desert [Him Whom they ought to trust and obey] and will stumble and fall away and betray one another and pursue one another with hatred. And many false prophets will rise up and deceive and lead many into error. And the love of [f]the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity." - Matthew 24:6-12

The Christian's hope lies in Jesus words...

"But he who endures to the end will be saved." - Matthew 24:13.

"Inspiration For You" from Randy Mitchell

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