Making Sense of a Crazy, Roller-Coaster World

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3 Making Sense of a Crazy, Roller-Coaster World By Ron Hutchcraft There are amusement parks where people of all ages can get their thrills. Of course, you don t have to buy a ticket these days to get a wild ride. All of us are feeling the sense of uncertainty, insecurity, and even fear that's in the air. We can sense it as we watch the news and read the paper, but nobody is smart enough to figure it out. We are continually reminded of what can happen because of natural forces going out of control, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and tornadoes. Our world is also at the mercy of political forces that are beyond our control, where the ultimate outcomes can directly affect our daily lives. Economic forces are also beyond our control. The world economy is a roller coaster, from the up-and-down stock-market, to massive debt, to a world that seems to be off-thecharts financially. You turn on the morning news and hold your breath thinking, "What's next?" Even without all the mayhem in the national and world news, life gets crazy in our personal worlds. We re always one , one text, one call, one doctor visit, or one conversation away from the bottom dropping out. It might be a change in our family, a job situation, or health. Maybe you ve been there when the Code Blue was someone close to you, when the baby with problems was one of yours, when the income suddenly went away, or when the phone call changed everything. The question that might be on your mind is, What is going on here? The answer to that question depends on which window you look out. There are days when you can look to the North and see a nice day. Then you can look to the South and see some ugly stuff coming. It depends on which window you look out to answer the question, What is going on in this crazy, roller coaster world? There are three perspectives on this roller coaster that are very important to think through. The Earth Perspective There s the perspective from earth. If you look at it from earth, it s a meltdown world. All the stability, all the lynch pins, and all

4 "Making Sense of a Crazy, Roller-Coaster World" by Ron Hutchcraft Page 2 the things that you could depend on, really are melting down. There are cascading crises, bigger than our ability to handle them. What happens when there is no one to come help you because they have their own problems? What happens when chaos is everywhere? In Luke 21:10-11, Jesus said, Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven. Nations will be in turmoil. People will be terrified. So what s going on around us? From earth, it looks like a meltdown world. The Hell Perspective From hell you have an angry enemy who says, Look at the clock! I know what the Bible says and I m running out of time! Whatever I m going to do, I have to get it done now. Revelation 12:12 says, Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short. Revelation 12:17 says, The dragon was enraged and went off to wage war. That s the view from hell. We are living in a time when, if we see hell s perspective, Satan and his forces are frantically working to take as much ground and as many lives as they can. Time is running out and Hell hears the two-minute warning. There s so much that looks like the world Jesus said He would come back to. Jesus said there would be an explosion before He came back. He said this in Matthew 24:12: Because of the increase (or rapid multiplication) of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold. Jesus said there is going to be an explosion of sin, an explosion of wickedness, right at the time when He would be returning. Hasn t there always been wickedness? Sin is not a new thing. Because of the media and the power of technology, you can see how quickly sin can spread. We can access junk on the Internet anywhere in the world. Any sinful idea and any sinful practice can be rapidly multiplied and out there in seconds. There will be an explosion of sin. Satan is operating the levers of the world system. He is doing everything he can to capture every soul and keep their hearts distracted from Jesus until he has them forever. Colossians 2:15 says about Jesus, And having disarmed the powers and authorities, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Satan is a crushed enemy, but he is a desperate enemy; he is angry and fully mobilized. 1 John 3:8 says, The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil s work. A missionary couple had been working in the deep and remote jungle. One day in their little house in the middle of the village, a giant snake slithered in their open door. They were very scared because it was a deadly snake. They ran outside screaming for their neighbor to help. Their neighbor came out of his little house with a machete.

5 "Making Sense of a Crazy, Roller-Coaster World" by Ron Hutchcraft Page 3 He walked in, and with one little stroke of his machete, he decapitated the snake. As he came out of the house, the neighbor was celebrating the fact that the snake was dead. However, he warned the couple that it may take a while for the snake to realize that it s dead. Indeed, it did take a little while. While they stood outside for hours, this decapitated snake thrashed around their house. Finally, hours later, the body of the snake realized it no longer had a head. These missionaries were pretty frustrated and actually sick to their stomach, but they were grateful because they knew the snake s rampage wouldn t last forever. Eventually the husband observed, Do you see it? Satan is a lot like that big old snake. He s already been defeated; he just doesn t know it yet. In the meantime, he s going to do some damage. Never forget though, he s a goner! Satan is going to thrash around like crazy, but his time is short. He s a goner! It will explain a great deal of what s going on in our world when we realize there s an angry enemy who s running out of time. The Heaven Perspective From earth you see a meltdown world, from hell you see an angry enemy, but from the one perspective that really matters - heaven - you see a Messiah moment. Haggai 2:7 says, I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory. In a world where every answer is a problem, where the limits of human power have never been more evident, and in a world that has cascading crises, the world is increasingly starved for a messiah. We keep thinking we found the answer, but nobody has, because there s only one. People in our world have a growing appetite for a savior, a rescuer. Somebody fix this! Somebody do something! There s only one somebody who can and He will. Years ago, a man named Arnold Toynbee, the greatest historian of the 20th century, said, History is rushing toward an inevitable climax. Yes, it is. Jesus said in Luke 21:27, At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. We are witnessing the growing worldwide cry for a great savior, but many don t know who He is. In the end, not only will there be an explosion of sin, but there will be a second explosion: This gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14). There will be an explosion of sin and there will be an explosion of the Gospel! This life-changing Good News will explode into hearts and lives like never before! Yes, it s a meltdown world and there s an angry enemy, but this is the Messiah moment. After all, you were created by Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16). He s the track your crazy roller-coaster car was designed for. How To Be Sure You re Attached To the Track You can t slow down the roller coaster, but you can make sure you re attached to the track. So how can you be "attached to the

6 "Making Sense of a Crazy, Roller-Coaster World" by Ron Hutchcraft Page 4 track" while you re being jerked around by the roller coaster's next twist or drop? 1. Be certain that Jesus is your anchor. You can have an unmoveable anchor in the middle of the wildest storm. The peace of Christ isn't based on what's going on around you, but on Who lives inside you. You can survive the ride if your soul is anchored, and Jesus is that anchor, because He is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). He loves you today as much as He did the day He bled for you on a cross. He s as powerful today as He was the day He blew away death at His now-empty tomb. Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:39). 2. Be certain where your security lies. What the world calls security really isn't. The Bible teaches that security is ultimately not a job, a career, a source of income, a retirement account, money in the bank, a nice house or car, or stuff. Life is not measured by how much you own (Luke 12:15 - NLT). Security is putting what God cares about at the top of your list, and then trusting Him to meet your every need out of the bottomless "Jesus-account" in heaven. In the reassuring words of God s Book, we have in Jesus an anchor for the soul, firm and secure (Hebrews 6:19). Our daily bread comes from a God whose stock never drops and whose resources are always infinite. You can live in total security and know that your times are in His hands (Psalm 31:15). 3. Re-evaluate your priorities. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously (Matthew 6:33 - NLT). So we don t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever (2 Cor. 4:18 - NLT). Times of uncertainty, whether national or personal, are times to check our two lists: "the things that really matter" and "the things that really don't." We tend to get those mixed up a lot. God is saying to you today, "Leave the craziness, My child, and step into the bigger thing I have for your life." 4. Know His realities. "The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord is on His heavenly throne" (Psalms 11:4). His promises are unchanged and always kept. "We have an anchor that keeps the soul, steadfast and sure while the billows roll, anchored to the Rock which cannot move" (Ray C. Stedman). Is Jesus Your Anchor? It all comes down to the question of whether or not you are attached to the track. Is Jesus your anchor in this crazy, roller coaster world? It's a good time to make sure He is your anchor, because the roller coaster isn't going to slow down! It is a personal choice each one of us must make. Someday, time is going to run out for

7 "Making Sense of a Crazy, Roller-Coaster World" by Ron Hutchcraft Page 5 you to begin your life with Jesus. You can pray to begin your personal relationship with Jesus right now, no matter where you are. There are no magic words needed; it s a matter of the heart. Here is an example of something you can pray: Dear Jesus, I have tried to make sense on my own of this crazy, roller coaster world for far too long. I need You to be my anchor while everything around me is out of control. I believe that I was created by You and for You, and I need Your peace in my life today. I know now that I can only depend on You. Forgive me for running my own life; I give my life now to You. You are the only answer, and I need You to rescue me. Come into my heart today and be my anchor. I trust You to meet my every need. Thank You, Jesus. In Your name, Amen. You can be certain, secure, and fearless in today s crazy world if you have a personal relationship with the One who has all the answers. When the roller coaster twists and drops violently, you can rest assured that you are safe because your coaster is attached to the track, and the track isn t moving. About Ron Hutchcraft Ron Hutchcraft is a passionate, contemporary evangelist, speaker, author, and radio host. As President of Ron Hutchcraft Ministries, Ron and his team specialize in developing, authentic, relevant, and creative tools to reach people with the message of Jesus. Ron is committed to communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the lost in their language and to motivating and equipping believers to communicate Christ to the lost in their world. Mr. Hutchcraft is also involved in work with Native Americans, and is founder of the On Eagles Wings Native leadership program. Rev. Hutchcraft frequently speaks in partnership with the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association. Ron was honored as Moody Bible Institute's Alumnus of the Year for Ron s closest partner in life and work is his wife, Karen. They are the parents of three grown children and have nine grandchildren. Online Resources We invite you to browse through our online store at where you will find resources to encourage you in your personal relationship with Jesus Christ, as well as resources to help you encourage others who do not know Him. You will find books, audio CDs, DVDs, downloadable media, and other resources that provide answers to today's real life issues. Download this free e-book at States License. You are free to share, copy, and distribute this work to others. You may not use this work for commercial purposes. You may not alter, transform, or build upon