Dear Family;

 

The new alert level has once again been raised. Homeland security is telling us to look out for the possibilities of terrorists during the political conventions and election. During the debates in congress of late there have been arguments as to whether there needs to be another bureaucracy formed to manage the intelligence organization and the information they assemble. Further, there is a debate for restoring the draft to increase the size of the military. Someone once said, "the fool says in his heart --  the solution to every problem is more time, more people and more money".   

Joe 2:11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

 Spurgeon, in his great spiritual wisdom, has written another great heart stirring thought which cause any reader to reevaluate their life and the desires of their hearts. 

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"His camp is very great."

                                                     --Joel 2:11

 

   Consider, my soul, the mightiness of the Lord who is thy

glory and defence. He is a man of war, Jehovah is His name. All

_the forces of heaven_ are at His beck, legions wait at His

door, cherubim and seraphim;, watchers and holy ones,

principalities and powers, are all attentive to His will. If our

eyes were not blinded by the ophthalmia of the flesh, we should

see horses of fire and chariots of fire round about the Lord's

beloved. _The powers of nature_ are all subject to the absolute

control of the Creator: stormy wind and tempest, lightning and

rain, and snow, and hail, and the soft dews and cheering

sunshine, come and go at His decree. The bands of Orion He

looseth, and bindeth the sweet influences of the Pleiades.

Earth, sea, and air, and the places under the earth, are the

barracks for Jehovah's great armies; space is His camping

ground, light is His banner, and flame is His sword. When He

goeth forth to war, famine ravages the land, pestilence smites

the nations, hurricane sweeps the sea, tornado shakes the

mountains, and earthquake makes the solid world to tremble. As

for _animate creatures_, they all own His dominion, and from the

great fish which swallowed the prophet, down to "all manner of

flies," which plagued the field of Zoan, all are His servants,

and like the palmer-worm, the caterpillar, and the cankerworm,

are squadrons of His great army, for His camp is very great. My

soul, see to it that thou be at peace with this mighty King,

yea, more, be sure to enlist under His banner, for to war

against Him is madness, and to serve Him is glory. Jesus,

Immanuel, God with us, is ready to receive recruits for the army

of the Lord: if I am not already enlisted let me go to Him ere I

sleep, and beg to be accepted through His merits; and if I be

already, as I hope I am, a soldier of the cross, let me be of

good courage; for the enemy is powerless compared with my Lord,

whose camp is very great.

 

Spurgeon points out one of the greatest truths of the universe yet we fail to summon the assets available to us. The primary reason for our failure to summon is because we do not believe and refuse to meet the condition required if we are to come into the fortress of protection.  

 

It amazes me that today as I drive down the street there are video cameras on every red light. Surveillance cameras are on the tops of buildings, parking lots, shopping centers and airports in an effort to deter or prevent evil. Does it? No!!  For none of those who monitor these cameras have the ability to prevent what is being observed. None have the ability to intervene and stop it before it happens. None have the ability to call up the wind or call down lightning. Yet there is one who can see things before they happen and is able to prevent them. Why do we not just let him handle these things?

 

Let me pose these questions; If these terrorists worship the same God we believe in then why does He bless their activity and hinder ours? If they pray to the same God I pray to, why are their prayers heard and mine are not?  If their god is not the same God as my God then why is their god seemingly defeating my God? Maybe our God is not happy with the attitude of the populist of this country? Maybe our God is waiting to see if we are going to give Him His rightful place in our hearts and minds. Maybe He is willing to permit our enemy to humble us and bring us back to Him. Maybe this is the debate congress and the people of this nation should be having.

 

Our homeland is secure only when we are secure in our relationship with God. And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: