Appeasing the Wicked is Folly

~ Jeff Crippen

Psa 37:12-15 The wicked plots against the righteous and gnashes his teeth at him, (13) but the Lord laughs at the wicked, for he sees that his day is coming. (14) The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to slay those whose way is upright; (15) their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

In other posts, I have pointed to the attitude in England in the 1930’s leading up to the Second World War. It was called “appeasement” and it was opposed by a very few, Winston Churchill being one. The appeasers basic premise was that no one really wants war. And therefore, if they simply appeased Hitler, eventually he would be satisfied.

They were wrong. Wrong to the tune of millions and millions of deaths in a war that encompassed the globe.

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Christ is Our Hope – Take Care not to be Drawn Away from Him

~ Jeff Crippen

1Timothy 1:1-7 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus our hope, (2) To Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

(3) As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, (4) nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. (5) The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

(6) Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, (7) desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.

Christ is the Christian’s hope. Not a “got my fingers crossed” kind of hope as in “I hope I win the lottery,” but a certain hope. A confident assurance that what He has promised us He will perform. Hope really is faith looking forward and seeing, as Hebrews says, what is as yet unseen.

Therefore this hope is the believer’s anchor when the storms come-

We have an anchor that keeps the soul
Steadfast and sure while the billows roll,
Fastened to the Rock which cannot move,
Grounded firm and deep in the Savior’s love.

This world (both visible and invisible) works to distract us from Christ. It shouldn’t surprise us. After all, the Christian whose eyes are taken off of Christ is a Christian whose faith and hope are seriously weakened. He or she won’t be very effective in battle with shields down.

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Mocking – A Devilish and Common Tactic of Evil

~ Jeff Crippen

Jer 20:7 O LORD, you have deceived me, and I was deceived; you are stronger than I, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all the day; everyone mocks me.

Heb 11:36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.

One of the most common and wicked tactics in our enemy’s arsenal is something that perhaps we do not recognize easily. Mocking. Holding someone in contempt and scorn, almost always accompanied by a smile of derision. Laughing at the oppressed. Ridicule. It is a cruel and ugly thing.

All of us have been mocked at one time or another. There have probably even been times when, to our shame, we mocked someone else unrighteously (we will talk about “righteous mocking” after we deal with the evil form). Mocking comes, unfortunately, quite easily to the sinful human heart. We who are in Christ grow to hate and repent of it.

Here is the dictionary entry: “to tease or laugh at in a scornful or contemptuous manner.”

Continue reading “Mocking – A Devilish and Common Tactic of Evil” →