October 10
Jer 14:11-16:15 | PS 80:1-19 | Prov 25:1-5 | 1 Thes 2:9-3:13
We often live life with the thought of having endless do-overs. We mess up, but digging into ourselves we seek to wiggle out of our situations. But there comes a time when that escape route is blocked. This is not always due to sin or human error. Consider those poor, unfortunate individuals who found themselves above the point of impact when the planes struck the World Trade Center. We are all sinners. But if we toy with sin long enough it can cause our hearts to harden. Also, God loves us too much to always find a way to work our way out of problems in the flesh. When caught in sin, do we plea for selfish reasons or do we see how our sin separates us from God. Do we plea in humble submission before our holy God, or do we hope to get away with it, hope to sweep it under the rug, and move on. Through this process that we call life, we must come to the realization that death is the finish line, with no do-overs, at which point the judgment comes and then eternity. Unless we have repented on earth and entered into a relationship with Jesus Christ on earth, eternity will be spent forever in a horrible place. Please, while there is time, May we all humble ourselves and see ourselves rightly before God, and choose Jesus, and thereby choose heaven.
The people of Judah had gone too far. They openly sinned and worshiped other gods. Time and time again, God sent them prophets, extended His mercy and grace. But their hearts were hardened and their pleas were more to save their own skin. In Jeremiah 14:19-22, the people plead for mercy again. But we see the sobering reply from the Lord in Jeremiah 15:1-4, “Then the Lord said to me, “Even if Moses and Samuel stood before Me, My mind would not be favorable toward this people. Cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth. And it shall be, if they say to you, ‘Where should we go?’ then you shall tell them, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Such as are for death, to death; And such as for the sword, to the sword; And such as for the famine, to the famine; And such as for the captivity, to the captivity.”’ “And I will appoint over them four forms of destruction,” says the Lord: “the sword to slay, the dogs to drag, the birds of the heavens and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy. I will hand them over to trouble, to all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem.” God would indeed show mercy to future generations and to the nation of Judah, but not at this time. Judgment was going to happen.
We, in America, better open our eyes. Our sins are not less than Judah when it was judged. We have worshiped other gods and sin publicly without even the slightest sense of shame. There have always been remnants who remained true to God, then as now. We need to focus on turning minds and hearts to Jesus while there is still time. Plant seeds to join this remnant. God’s plan for history will move forward with or without America. But what of your loved ones, your friends, your acquaintances, your co-workers, etc. While there is time left present to them the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, so when they find themselves on the precipice of eternity, they will enter heaven. Jesus is our living Hope. Jesus is the only hope there is.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: