Everyday I make my way past, what I believe to be, one of the most spiritually darkened street corners of New York City. Here, at sunset, several Muslims assemble on the sidewalk for their evening prayers. It is a tiny space that becomes quickly congested as pedestrians, mostly making their way home during rush hour, are forced to sidestep prayer rugs and worshipers. The sidewalk is littered with half-empty plastic water bottles that have been poured out for ritual cleansing. And just when you’ve made your way through that congestion, you step right alongside a small cluster of men who are shamelessly proposing to women as they pass by. “Miss, marry me and you can leave me in 2 days.” They are looking for citizenship. Turning the corner onto Broadway are a few scattered Asian men and women who are scouting the area. Like hawks they zero in on their prey and make their approach. “Miss, you want Coach handbag? Come with me. Come with me.” Some days they can be very aggressive. Then there are the T-Shirts. In a brazen display of godlessness, licensed street vendors display T-Shirts bearing the most awful, foul, authority hating sayings. I will admit that some days, by the time I make it to the train station, I am emotionally overwhelmed by my surroundings.
What a fallen world we live in. War, famine, natural disasters, corruption, perversion, suffering, injustice, persecution, deceit, and sin of all kinds. Oh, but there is hope! Listen to the words of Jesus: “When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” (Luke 21:28). While there is much debate on how these passages relate to end-time events, the broader promise for all Christians is that Jesus is coming back! John Wesley captures this promise so beautifully. “Now when these things begin to come to pass, look up with firm faith, and lift up your heads with joy: for your redemption out of many troubles draweth nigh, by God’s destroying your implacable enemies.”
He will come as quick as lightning with power and great glory! He will destroy His enemies. He will make the crooked straight. He will redeem and restore all of creation. He will put everything back in its rightful place. This is what Jesus said. And beyond that, He said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:35).
And so I encourage myself — and you, with the blessed hope of our Savior’s return.
“It is by Christian patience we keep possession of our own souls, and keep out all those impressions which would put us out of temper.” (Matthew Henry)
That was fantastic Christina, I so needed to read this today. The world is a brutal place, and Christ really is the light in the darkness. I am going to steal this and put it on my blog, with credit to my favorite New Yorker, of course!
Love it!
God bless you, Teresa!
Amen! It was just two months before the 2008 elections that we were in NYC last. On all our previous trips, we had stayed on LI, in or near Kings Point, and rode the train into the city. The last time we (foolishly?) stayed in Jamaica with a block of a mosque. What a culture shock. My daughter was sure we were going to die! =) As we traveled about the city over the next 3 days, I gained a greater appreciation for why the campaign for “Hope” and “Change” was so effective. God bless YOU, Christina.
May I encourage you as well, to look and pray for the repentance a very sinful nation must undergo. We are, as you have so well stated, fallen! Christ demands repentance of a nation which has turned its back on the God who supernaturally gave this nation its Christian roots.
While we may hope for the quick return for our Lord and Savior, we must be at work, for He prayed… Thy Kingdom Come, Thy WILL BE DONE ON EARTH as it is in Heaven.
Let us not be as the unfaithful spies who spied out the land and said “the Giants are too big”, but rather, like Joshua and Caleb who knew that our God is BIGGER than the problems we face. Give a good report of the land and He will ground us in it, for salvation is not only heavenly but temporal.
May He give us the grace and strength necessary to fight the good fight here on this earth that when we see Him he may say to us, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.”
Amen. How right you are in what you have said. Yes, we can hope for the quick return of our Lord and Savior but it is only the preaching of a crucified Christ to a hostile world that has power to transform an individual — and ultimately a nation. In fact, I wrote about this a couple of times. http://heavenlysprings.org/2009/11/17/preaching-christ-crucified-2/
May God give the church in America the spirit of Joshua and Caleb who did not shrink back in fear! For many it will mean an end to “business as usual.” It will mean the church will have to drop every crutch and empty herself of everything that reeks of the flesh and the earth. We will have to stand with fear and trembling, like Paul, and pray for the boldness to preach a “crucified Christ” to a hostile world.
Also, you probably are already well aware of this but just in case — and, for anyone who isn’t, John MacArthur has a series “Can God bless America?” which is helpful as we attempt to process this crisis biblically. http://www.gty.org/Resources/Sermons/80-245
Thank you so much for your reminder! May God strengthen and purify us for the work at hand!
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I know your feelings, as I live one of the most crowded cities in the world: Mexico City.
Only our God can give us hope as we walk among such darkness.
May His light shine!
AWESOME! I loved the way you put a geniuine feel in the atmosphere. I could see and feel the stank. You are quite the writer.
Oh Christina, this was a home run of a post! Thank you so much for giving us a glimpse into your daily life on the other side of the Continent. I love the way you verbally painted this picture so vividly and diversly, yet bringing out the fact that things are the same in essence wherever we live. The scenario and culture may vary in other places, but the need remains the same. The Solution remains the same; yesterday, today and forever.
Thank you for a moving read today.
Blessings!
I may not know about tomorrow, but I do know who holds tomorrow. And in him I find peace.
Great article,
Christina