The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, Part 6

The Opening Ceremony of the Olympics, Part 6
Wednesday, August 14, 2024 by Dr. James W. Walraven

Categories: Apostasy / Contemporary issues / Scripture discussion / Spiritual deception / Thought for Today

As Christians, we should be encouraged. The opening ceremony has given us an opportunity to discuss with others what is biblically true and the dangers of rejecting God. Even better, many of the athletes there—most, though not all, from what would be considered “third world” countries were quite vocal about their Christian faith.

Beyond that, God has no rivals, no created being can thwart Him, no matter how much, for example, Satan may try. As a created being he will never usurp God; God will never be dethroned. What Satan can do, is persuade others to go along with him to eternal destruction.

Suppose we are at a beach, and we notice someone at water’s edge, and off in the distance a huge sneaker wave coming, We wouldn’t say, “Have fun in the water. There’s nothing to be concerned about. Just stay there,“ would we? Rather, we’d try to get their attention so they’d get out of there. Out of love, we’d urge them to find a place of safety.

That is a key reason why Christians have responded so strongly to that opening (and arguably, the closing ceremony may have been even worse). It truly won’t end well for those who planned that event, for the actors who took part, and for those who gave their hearty approval regarding what took place.

It is out of love for us that God gives such blunt, stern warnings. He won’t force us to change, but He will warn us of the consequences if we do not do so.

God’s judgment isn’t inescapable. If a person or nation truly repents, God’s judgment can be averted. The classic biblical example is Nineveh and the preaching of Jonah. Jonah ran, fearing that if they did repent God would show His mercy instead of His judgment. The Ninevites were notoriously cruel, among the most hated of their day, due to that cruelty. Humanly, one can understand Jonah’s reaction.

But at the preaching of Jonah, they did repent, and God relented from sending His promised judgment. The same can hold true for us. But it is very late, and it is better to not delay repentance.

Prayer is key. As Christians we must continue to intercede for others, for our nation, the West, the world, and those caught in false religions, that God would break through their rebellion, their defenses, and save them. Pray that God would open their hearts to the truth.

God, through faith in Christ is the solution, the solution that we, as Christians, can offer. People need to be aware of the hope we have; they should see a difference: hope vs. despair. When they ask us the reason for our living in hope rather than in despair, we have an opportunity to sharew the Truth of Christ, but to do so with gentleness and respect.

May God continue to use the opening ceremony of the Olympics, contrary to Satan’s design, to wake people up, to bring them to faith in Jesus Christ, the one means for forgiveness of sins, the one source of genuine hope!

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