A Mighty Fortress is Our God

“And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” — Matthew 7:27

Image Credit: Claudio Carrozzo via Unsplash

The city of Shechem in Judges chapter 9 had two strongholds: the one dedicated to the false god Berith, and the strong tower belonging to the living God. When disaster came, those that fled to the house of Berith were trapped inside and Abimelech burned it to the ground. But those who fled to the strong tower were safe and Abimelech was crushed by the Rock of Ages.

“The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his -enemies[1].”

There is the true gospel of our salvation, the blood of the lamb that cleanses from all unrighteousness, and then “there is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of destruction[2].” The house of Berith was built on sand and could not withstand the evil day, and neither will any sacerdotal system or man-centered tradition.

So where is your city of refuge? Is it in Babylon, “that great city, who is brought to ruin in one hour[3],” or is it Jerusalem, who is free and a mother to us all[4]?

Selah.

Scripture References [1] Nahum 1:7-8 [2] Prov 14:12 [3] Rev 18:19 [4] Gal 4:26

Enmity Against God

Conversion to Christianity often seems like a mystery. We'll see someone go through a life-altering change and then suddenly identify themselves as a Christian. It’s easy to understand why a person would try to kick a bad habit or an addiction, but the “jump” to Christ can be difficult to understand.

Why are some granted the truth of God, while others simply make a lifestyle change? Only God knows. The Lord selects the vessels of his choosing for the tasks of his choosing, some to honor and others to dishonor [1].

Those who are converted have seen, through their own specific sins, that God's truth is completely undeniable. As new sins come to light, the convert is refined rather than cast down, sanctified rather than defeated, and ultimately strengthened in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. This is God's way of establishing his kingdom now and also preparing the citizens of the new heavens and the new earth.

Conversion is more than a lifestyle change because it's a realization that we weren't just hurting ourselves or those around us, but that we had offended God the Creator [2] with our actions. Our existence before salvation was by default enmity against God [3], and there is no greater offense than this.

Hibiscus in Marco Island, FL

[1] 2 Timothy 2:20

[2] Psalm 51:4

[3] Romans 8:7

No Other Gods

For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.

Psalm 96:5

My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:2

The earth is evidence of intelligent design rather than a cosmic accident that just happened to work out. The landscapes, the creatures, the ecosystems, and the skies above, show proof of a force beyond human intellect that orchestrates all of existence.

If this is true, then there is a Spirit governing all things in the land. This Spirit is the Creator, the life-giver, the God of the whole earth.

This is the one and true God, the only God that is worthy of worship because of his power to create all things. There are no gods above Him or equal to Him. He is unrivaled for eternity.

Therefore, we don’t look the idols of our nations for spiritual nourishment. We look to the living God, who draws us in by his wonderful works and leads us to truth and understanding.

A spiny orb weaver making a home in Marco Island, Florida

Oh this nation of dumb idols

Impotent gods and lust unbridled

Worshiping creation over the Creator

Blinded by God to the redeeming Savior

But here I stand, I’m just a stranger

Help cometh from my Lord when I’m in danger

He made the heaven and he made the earth

And I was bound to him since before my birth