This morning I was thinking of the warnings God gives before he takes action;
Adam and Eve warned not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge,
Noah preached 120 years before the flood,
Jesus warned that no sign would be given but the sign of Jonah,
And the list goes on...
Then I thought about the many signs that are listed in the old and new testament that there will come a day of reckoning which will be terrible for all involved, some call it the end of the world, the day of the Lord, judgement day. Whatever it's called it's preceded by a period which is sure to be horrible as Satan is released from whatever is holding him in bondage; surely the Holy Spirit promised to all believers in the Lord's church, given to you at your baptism; Acts 2:38
But what happens with the church is removed from the earth? No matter when you believe it will happen pre, post or awe(sic); the results are the same, the Holy Spirit is gone and this will allow Satan more power than he's ever had...free to physically harm the people who refuse still to believe in God, will there be other chances, I don't know, many say yes, but if it's just a chance for the 144,000 Jews to repent or whatever, it's sure to be a time that, based on God's warning, in His holy word, the Bible; I don't want to have to be around to find out...
But I digress again, based on my study and faith, I believe that; "God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" and so he warns through His Word, His Spirit, His Holy Church about the disaster that is coming. And, much as in the days of Noah, we see that many are called but few respond and so, fail to heed God's warning.
Then when I did my Bible reading this morning, a section of verses caught my attention and so I felt I must write this:
Hebrews 12:16 And see to it that no one becomes an immoral or godless person like Esau, who sold his own birthright for a single meal. 12:17 For you know that later when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no opportunity for repentance, although he sought the blessing with tears. 12:18 For you have not come to something that can be touched, to a burning fire and darkness and gloom and a whirlwind 12:19 and the blast of a trumpet and a voice uttering words such that those who heard begged to hear no more. 12:20 For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” 12:21 In fact, the scene was so terrifying that Moses said, “I shudder with fear.” 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion, the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the assembly 12:23 and congregation of the firstborn, who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous, who have been made perfect, 12:24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks of something better than Abel’s does.
12:25 Take care not to refuse the one who is speaking! For if they did not escape when they refused the one who warned them on earth (emphasis mine), how much less shall we, if we reject the one who warns from heaven? 12:26 Then his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “I will once more shake not only the earth but heaven too.” 12:27 Now this phrase “once more” indicates the removal of what is shaken, that is, of created things, so that what is unshaken may remain. 12:28 So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe. 12:29 For our God is indeed a devouring fire.
Esau sneered at the promise of the birthright and sought his own physical pleasure in the eating of a warm meal. This action made his immoral and godless. The Israelites were too superstitious to heed God's warning and so were kept out of the promised land, even Moses was fearful. But we, are saved by the grace of God and come to Mt Zion, an assembly that is perfect; but the one's who failed to heed the warning will be be shaken in God's wrath, so great that it will shake the heaven's and the earth, and all created things will be removed to leave only that which unshakeable; Jesus and His Church (we all) or (we'uns) as we are sometimes called...
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