“Do you think they were worse sinners than all other men?  I tell you, no, but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”  (Luke 13:4-5)

Norway woke up on Friday July 22nd  to its worst disaster since World War II caused by just one Norwegian citizen  in Oslo and shortly after in a socialistic youth camp north of Oslo.   The government buildings in Oslo look like a war zone and 7 are reported killed plus an unknown number of wounded people.  In the youth camp at least 80 were killed by the same insane person (32).  The hospitals are now crowded with wounded and maimed people.

The whole of Scandinavia is in a state of shock.  Despite all our many safety measures a cynical act like that is still possible. Norway´s atheistic prime minister Jens Stoltenberg (50) calls for calm composure and assures his people that Norway will change all right, “but for the better.  We´ll have even more democracy and more debate.  This will not break us.”

Democracy means “the rule of the people”, or a rule that the people want.  Our TV screens will continue to reflect those wishes meaning more fun, more entertainment, more ungodliness, more blasphemy, more lewdness, more religious hypocrisy making a holy God and His word an amusing laughing stock in the name of democracy and freedom of speech.  And so the show must go on.  “But what will you do in the end?”  (Jer. 5:31), for a grave end is coming, God´s righteous judgment.

Or will this national catastrophe make us turn to God anew in humble repentance?  Will it make the churches suspend their religious machinery and smiling programs, their platform jokes, their hilarity and frivolity, and instead call for intercessory prayer for our countries and another revival?

What is the option?

July 23, 2011

-jn-