Beauty and the Beast

This morning while biking once again on the Katy Trail (who can resist these cool, sunny mornings?) I listened to Adrian Rogers' sermon entitled "Beauty and the Beast."

Knowing he was going to discuss the book of Revelations, I was not prepared for the funny lead-in story. I have to share it with you if you did not yet hear the broadcast on Family Christian Radio.

Pastor Rogers shared that he owned a Model T-Ford and how much he enjoyed just looking at it in his garage. He rarely drove it,but his granddaughter requested that he drive her groom and her from their wedding to their own car as a favor. Of course, he was happy to accommodate.

The bride and groom gingerly climbed into the bumper seat of the old car. A sign, JUST MARRIED, was on the back with tin cans and balloons. After driving them to their get-away-car for the couple's honeymoon, he went back to the church where his other granddaughter who was 20 asked for a ride home.

Not thinking about the sign still on the car, he drove down the highway as truck drivers passed him blaring their horns and giving him the thumbs up.

He finally figured out what was going on. He knew all who saw them wondered about this beauty and the beast.

While a funny story, Rogers went on to share that unlike his granddaughter who has the beauty of God inside and out, Revelations shares the prophecy of the Beauty who feasts on the saints of God with the Beast in the end times. The Beauty in Revelations embraces religion, rather than fights it. In fact, he pointed out how Satan does not fight religion; he uses it. He tempted Eve by saying how she would become LIKE God if she ate the apple.

Likewise in the end times before Christ returns, Satan will create a one-world religion. As a former public school teacher, I can already see the ground work prepared for our children as all world views are valued, are all deemed correct, and morals relevant while absolutes cease to exist. Abraham Lincoln once said that the classroom of today becomes the society of tomorrow. When teaching, I heard from intelligent young souls challenged about characters' actions in literature that actions could not be deemed as wrong or right in and of themselves but only in context of the situation. Very often that situation included whether or not one was caught doing an inappropriate act in society's eyes.

It wasn't the fault of the children. It was our fault, those of us who allowed such world views to have a toe hold in the classroom. The Beauty and the Beast will not have much fight, I am afraid, from the world as they pull all religions together, indicating how all walks lead to God, all faiths are from God.

If true, then Jesus need not have died such a horrible death.

But He did. Christianity is the only religion to serve a risen Savior.

I don't want to be here to see the Beauty and the Beast. It will happen so subtley, so easily as our world financial system takes over any privacy or individuality, as technology opens doors to those who would dominate or take advantage, as classrooms continue to hear how every decision is relevant and yet strive to teach "morality of man."

Praise God, I serve a risen Savior whose Love is Beautiful, whose plans are for good for His people, who tarries so that He does not lose one soul, who waits like a handsome groom for us, His bride.

I guess the broadcast had an impact upon me. I have now decided to read Revelations and have purchased a commentary to help me through the symbols of numbers and visions John was given from God. The Bible says those who read the book and study it will be blessed.

I'll be counting on that blessing. Join me, won't you? If not Revelations, then choose one book or even chapter upon which to focus today. God's Beauty will be yours.

For His Glory,
Gretchen