The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, Part 5

The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, Part 5
Thursday, August 8, 2024 by Dr. James W. Walraven

Categories: Apostasy / Contemporary issues / Spiritual deception / Spiritual warfare / Thought for Today

God’s judgment. As we’ve seen in this series, although first and foremost God is a God of love, individuals and nations cannot go on mocking Him indefinitely. God’s judgment will fall. Typically that judgment first manifests itself internally and then externally. Also, please note that just because a particular nation comes under God’s judgment, that judgment doesn’t necessarily equate to the end times, the Great Tribulation, and so forth. Historically, God didn’t rapture the Chinese Christians out under Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, and any number of other tyrants.

For us as Christians, the key is to trust God anyway, to remain faithful, anyway. Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). As we saw in the previous post, even when facing possible martyrdom, God can be trusted. Satan and those serving him can only kill us physically, they can’t destroy our bodies and souls in Hell. Jesus even said that a time was coming when people would kill us thinking they were serving God (John 16:2).

God alone knows how and when judgment will be carried out. Although social media isn’t the place to go into detail, one possibility in particular comes to mind. Admittedly, I am speculating.

To me, there are a handful of nations that are becoming world powers. They look at events like the opening ceremony and sense a growing opportunity. They have fought against the West for a long time, sometimes overtly, sometimes covertly. They observe the growing corruption as proving they have a superior moral position. Their founder even foretold that they would eventually do so.

Historical records—even their own—demonstrate a recurring theme of brutality in their military conquests; something they see as being richly deserved by the vanquished. They even see themselves as instruments of God’s judgment. Given what we’ve just discussed, it isn’t out of the question that God could allow then to conquer Europe, and possibly even the United States at some point. God will not be mocked, and unless we soon repent, God’s judgment will be severe.

God alone knows how things will play out. He tells us some things in the Scriptures. He gives us a general outline, but He doesn’t supply details, and He doesn’t tell us His timing (regardless of what some Christians over the centuries have claimed). What can be said is that judgment is coming.

I do not like writing these things. I don’t want to see people, people who are blind to what they are doing, yet insist on continuing to do it, judged and eternally lost in Hell. I’d much rather they repent, and come to faith in Christ. In Christ there is an eternal future, and for now, an unshakable hope.

God warned Israel. God continued to warn Israel, even as they maintained their relection of them. Knowing the judgments He’d have to pronounce, we see God asking them, “Why will you die?” (see Jeremiah 27:13; Ezekiel 18:31; Ezekiel 33:11) In Ezekiel 18:23, and 33:11 God adds that He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked and would much rather that they’d repent.

God is a God of love, but not the indolent, excusing “love” our culture wants. His love is both pure and holy. God’s love and His holiness are intertwined with each other. It would be far better for us to repent of doing such things as took place at the opening ceremony of the Olympics, to humble ourselves before God, and beg his forgiveness. It is especially important for those directly involved, from the organizers to the participants. Sadly, as we’ve seen, repentance is something scoffers and mockers seldom do, and at some point, God’s judgment follows.

For those of us who are Christians, we must continue to walk in obedience, to pray for and to love those who are lost, to minister as God gives opportunity, and to trust Him, regardless of what happens.

In the next post, the final one of this series, that in spite of what happened, there are reasons for hope.

Share This Blog: