February 11, 2014
OK ... I've spent the last several weeks
talking about the 'shattered shelters'
that will not protect us in the coming storm ... so now I want to talk
about is the ONE that will protect is .... God promised the prophet Zechariah
that in the last days he would be a protective 'wall of fire' around his
people. ..In verse 5 of chapter 2, he says,
"And I myself will be a wall of fire around it .. and I will be its
glory within." .......
Isaiah also testifies to this ...
"You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his
distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat. .. For the breath
of the ruthless is like a storm driving against a wall." (25:4)
These are the messages that are meant to
comfort us as 'prior warnings' concerning the great storm prophesied as coming
in the final days. .. Jesus himself said the coming storm will be so frightful
and overwhelming that people's hearts will fail them as they see it forming.
(see Luke 21:26) ... Now if Jesus says this storm is going to be ferocious, we
can be sure that it will be an awesome moment in time. ..
Yet the Bible assures us God never sends
judgement on any society without first revealing to his prophets what he plans
to do. .. "Surely the sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his
plan to his servants and prophets. (Amos
3:7) ... Just prior to any impending
storm of judgment, the Lord always commands his prophets to warn the people to
return to him .. "I have also spoken by the prophets, and I have
multiplied visions ... by the ministry of the prophets." (Hosea 12:10) ...
So what is God's purpose in telling us
these things? ... Simply, it is His love for us and his way of lovingly calling
us back to himself to protect us in such times. ... Yet often in biblical history when he gave
these warnings, the people refused to listen. ... "Although the Lord sent
prophets to the people to bring them back to him, and though they testified
against them, they would not listen." (2 Chronicles 24:19) ... ... Almost
always, God's people grew weary of these warnings. .. This is especially true
if these warnings of impending disaster go on for a period of years. ... The
warnings kept coming but nothing really happened. ... Things seemed to go on as
before .. and over time, the people began to switch off the prophet's voice. ..
They simply didn't want to hear it anymore!
.... Sound and look familiar?
"They say to the seers, 'See no more visions!' and said to the
prophets, 'Give us no more visions of
what is right! Tell us pleasant things,
prophesy illusions.' " (Isaiah
30:10) ... Can we see ourselves falling for such a condition? .. These people
knew Isaiah was telling the truth, and that a great storm was coming, but they
got tired of hearing about it! ... Instead they preferred to hear 'illusions'
(smooth things - KJV) ... In short, they were telling Isaiah to 'not preach
anything to us that will upset the status quo or make us nervous.' ... Sound
familiar?
Sadly, it would seem that we have learned
absolutely nothing from these prior examples. .. This very condition has crept
into the Church of Jesus Christ today! ... Believers who have been devoted to
Jesus for years now turn to the media only to see more horrible reports of
violence, disasters, famine and hunger, exploding crime, rampant immorality.
.... After a while, their minds become saturated with all the bad news and
their hearts become hardened to it. .. To them, even the most vile news reports
become 'just another news story.' .... I look a this kind of stuff every day,
and often wonder if anything can move us anymore ... It seems we've already
heard the worst ... what disaster or calamity is left to shock us?
"My people come to you, as they
usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put
them into practice. With their mouths
they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. Indeed, to
them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs and plays an instrument
well, for they hear your words, but do not put then into practice. When all this comes true - and it surely will
- then they will know that a prophet has been among them." (Ezekiel
33:31-33) ...
The majority of churchgoers today soundly
reject all prophetic warnings of the coming storm .. that is if they even hear
them at all. ... Sadly, the American church is the most blatant 'feel good'
church in all of history! ... Like Israel before us, we are only experiencing
the 'calm before the storm.' ...
Likewise today, Christians by the multitudes are casting off the 'yoke' of
Christ, tossing aside all limits and restrictions. .. This attitude is
prevalent in many forms .. books .. magazines .. from the pulpit itself .. it's
like our teachers and leaders are saying .. 'Relax! God isn't hard. He's our big pappa in the sky .. we're his
kids and we are meant to have a good time .. don't let anyone disturb your
fun.' ... Somehow I don't think this is
the work of the Holy Spirit ......
" 'The days are coming,' declares
the Sovereign Lord, 'when I will send a famine through the land - not a famine
of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the lord.'
" (Amos 8:11) ... Isn't it interesting that we don't see a famine of
preaching? ... God will never hold back his warnings for the church ... and
that is because it is the ONLY thing that will set us free. ... No, Amos's
prophecy is not about all the shallow, light preaching we hear today. ..
Rather, what the church today is experiencing is a famine of 'hearing.' ...
There seems to be a prevalent unwillingness to hear the TRUE Word of God. ..
Instead, people are closing their eyes and ears, hardening their hearts and saying
.. 'I don't want to hear it anymore.'
The apostle Peter predicted that many
'last day scoffers' .. including many believers .. would have this dangerous
attitude in these tumultuous times ... "First of all, you must understand
that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own
desires. They will say, 'Where is this
'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has
since the beginning of creation.' " (2 Peter 3:3-4)
This is the very reason God tells his
prophets and watchmen to shout their warnings from the rooftops! ..He wants to
warn his people .. to stir them up .. to seek him before it's too late! ... He
wants to 'convict' us of our attempts to cast off Christ's yoke and 'cozying'
up to the world. .. He wants us to keep our eyes on Jesus, to seek heavenly
things, because those are the only things that will stand when the winds of the
coming massive storm begin to blow. ...
We know that Jesus was the very
embodiment of God's love. .. And yet he
warned, prophesied and wept because he saw what was coming. ... "Then
shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to
this time, no, nor ever shall be. And
except those days should be shortened, there would no flesh be
saved." (Matthew 24:21-22) ...
With each passing day, the warning signs
are growing more ominous and more severe. ... The prophets and Jesus saw it ...
and now we see it and therefore have no excuse if we choose to ignore
them, and God's watchmen ...
Back to the title ... 'The Only Shelter
In The Coming Storm' ... is what? .... Jesus Christ and only Him! .. Those of
us who have listened to the warnings know exactly what to do! ... We can run
into the presence of our Father and he can, and will, lift us out of any
despair or worry we may have. .. He has shown us the ultimate outcome of it all
... joy, hope, and eternal peace. .. Hallelujah!
"I saw the Lord always before
me. Because he is at my right hand, I
will not be shaken. .. Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body will also live in hope, because you
will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. ..
You have made known to me the paths of life;
and you will fill me with joy in your presence." (Acts 2:25-28) ...
Know that I am pray for you and will
continue to share with you all that is given me as long as I can .... so ...
Until next time,
Red