“This is what the LORD says: Stand in the courtyard of the LORD’s house and speak to all the people of the towns of Judah who come to worship in the house of the LORD. Tell them everything I command you; do not omit a word.

Perhaps they will listen and each will turn from their evil ways. Then I will relent and not inflict on them the disaster I was planning because of the evil they have done."

Jeremiah 26:2-3, NIV

 

I was five years old when the incident happened. It involved a tri-cycle, a concrete driveway, and a naughty little boy who didn't always listen to  his Mom.

 

While I don't remember all of the details (this happened over a half century ago), I do remember that another kid and I were playing "toll bridge" where we would stand up on our trikes and reach for a latch on our shed to "pay the toll". And I did pay the toll, for the trike went out from under me and I hit the concrete with such force that it broke my wrist in two places and my arm near the elbow. Now, I suppose I knew that I wasn't to stand on my trike, my parents were always telling something to the effect that I should be more careful and pay better attention, but at five years old there were some lessons you just had to learn on your own by paying the toll.

 

I have since noted that there is nearly always a toll to be paid for not listening. Perhaps you have had similar observations from your own life.

 

This was certainly true of the Israelites. Though God would warn them over and over not to engage in certain behavior, it seems that they rarely listened. Like five year old children, they were certain that they were missing out on life by listening to the stodgy old prophets that God would send to them and, as a result, they often had a toll to pay for their lack of attention and because of their disobedience to God.

 

Some things never change, I suppose, but as we get older we really should know better. As I grew in years after that tri-cycle accident I was able to observe that if I would just listen to my parents, not as many bad things would happen. Further, as I matured, it began to dawn on me that my parents were not telling me things that I didn't want to hear out of some sort of meanness, but out of a genuine concern for my welfare because they loved me. And, as I have read my Bible more and more and have actually paid attention to the things that God has told me, I have realized that it is the same with Him. He tells us the things we need to know because He loves us!

 

Are we listening?

 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:11-13, ESV

 

 

 

Thanks again for taking the time to read this article, If it helps in any way, won't you help us get it out to more people by liking and sharing it?

 

Cast away from you all the transgressions that you have committed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit! Why will you die, O house of Israel? For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord GOD; so turn, and live.”

Ezekiel 18:31-32, ESV

 

This is a message of encouragement.

 

I wanted that to be clear before anyone is tempted to quit reading after they see the title of this article and the passage above and think that it will be just another "Hell, Fire and Brimstone" rant. Now don't get me wrong. God does indeed have such warnings contained within the Bible and we need to heed those warnings, but the vast majority of His Word reveals how we might live life to the fullest and be saved. Consider the following passage:

 

I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

I John 5:13, ESV

 

The fact is that God's warnings to us to turn away from our sins are given out of love, not meanness. He wants us to know that those who are in danger of eternal loss do not have to remain in that state. One eternal truth that we all must learn is that the wages of sin is only death, but that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, (Romans 6:23). This is why Jesus had to die! My sins and yours required a payment, but Jesus paid it. So, why will we die when we can know we have eternal life?

 

Perhaps the main thought of today's article is this: Why will you live a subpar life, just waiting for Judgment's axe to fall, when you can know that God does not want you to be lost? For Hell is a very real place of pain, hopelessness, and loss. Those who end up there will eventually realize that it is through their own doing, therefore Hell will be a place of eternal regret. It is a place that will be utterly and absolutely devoid of God's presence. It is the worst place imaginable, but many will end up there due to the fact that they just never could find the time to correct the err of their ways and do what God wanted them to do.

 

What a waste of life! But it doesn't have to be that way...

 

Perhaps these four truths will help us when we are tempted to just give up and wait in fear for a verdict of Judgment that God does not want to render:

1. Salvation is the true measure of success in life
2. The knowledge of salvation will allow us to enjoy life on earth to the fullest
3. Salvation is readily attainable for those who will make the effort to find out what God has commanded
4. Salvation is available in the same way today as it was when given immediately following Christ's sacrifice and resurrection some 2000 years ago

 

This knowledge has the power to change your life. It can lift you out of the depression's deepest pit and lift you up to the joy God has always desired for His beloved children. Consider this: If you have been living a life of despair, why? If you are afraid that you might be lost, why won't you do something about it? The fact is that Hell does await those who refuse to come to God in His way, as well as for those who refuse to walk in His ways once they have been saved, but eternal life in the actual presence of the Father and the Son is available for all who will seek their will and do it.

 

If you believe these things to be true, but are not sure if you are saved, what should you do? Find out! You can, you know. It will take effort on your part, perhaps greater effort than you have ever given to anything before, but it is worth it for being lost really is easier to cure than to endure.

 

Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test.

II Corinthians 13:5-6, ESV

 

If the thoughts from today's article might help someone you know, why not share it with them? You never know, the truth's found in these Scriptures just might change their life!

 

‘The whole land is brimstone, salt, and burning; it is not sown, nor does it bear, nor does any grass grow there, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger and His wrath.’

“All nations would say, ‘Why has the LORD done so to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean?’

“Then people would say: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them out of the land of Egypt;

Deuteronomy 29:23-25, NKJV

 

One of the most important skills that a person can acquire is the ability to properly diagnose a problem in order to then implement the right solution. Whether we are talking about a good doctor. a good mechanic, a good citizen or a good servant of God, they all have the ability to not only observe what is wrong, but also the knowledge needed to fix that problem.

 

We have all known someone who is on so many prescribed drugs that they cannot even keep up with them. Sometimes this is needed, but more often than not, the doctor taking care of them is just searching for the right combination of drugs to make their problem go away. We have also likely taken our car to a mechanic at one time or another for a simple repair, only to find out that "There was a lot wrong" with our vehicle. While this is occasionally the case, it's usually because the mechanic didn't know what he was doing so he just started changing parts. If we are smart, we will find professionals who can diagnose and fix based on the right diagnosis. While such men and women seem to be rare they do exist, and these are the people we seek out when we need something done. All others are parts changers and pill pushers.

 

What's this got to do with the title of this article? How does this help us to know how we got to this dire point in history? Simply this: Most of us are aware of the serious problems within our nation at the present time, but we continue to surround ourselves with politicians who are clueless "parts changers" and "pill pushers". So, how can we properly diagnose the problem so that we can do the right thing about it? The same way that a doctor becomes a good doctor and a mechanic becomes a good mechanic: Study and experience!

 

I believe we have the experience part down. We look around our nation and see it on fire. We see perversion taking over, children teaching our children insane ideas in some of our schools,  and corruption from the lowliest areas of public service to the very halls of congress. We have runaway inflation, warmongers looking for the next fight, and substance abuse so rampant that it is spilling over from the downtown streets to the once safe neighborhoods of the suburbs. Again, it is clear that we have had our fill with the experience end of the deal, but what can we do?

 

In Jeremiah's time, some 900 years after the prophesy that we read above in Deuteronomy, those prophetic words of Moses were fulfilled, This was an ere that was so similar to the times that we live in that the reading of their dire situation is like reading the morning newspaper today. So, again, what does this have to do with our problems today? Simply this: If they had paid attention to God's continual warnings through the study of His word that contained those warnings, they wouldn't have allowed their nation to be destroyed, because the experience part of the diagnosis would have been complimented by a knowledge of what to do.

 

Our founders were godly men. Our Constitution is a document that was immersed in their godliness. The Declaration of Independence written 11 years earlier was based on their foundation of morals that were shaped by their Christian beliefs. We don't teach about the founders any more unless it is to undermine the character so that people won't listen to them, or read why they thought they had to remove their wicked leaders. Here are but two examples of the type of mindset of our founders that would help us today:

     "I think we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious." 

Does this strike a responsive chord? How about this one?  

     "To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical."

I doubt if most of us were even aware of these quotes, yet Thomas Jefferson really said these things. And they were but a mild version of what he and the other founders felt about those who would live off the labor of honest men to promote their own causes and take power and wealth from those who could not diagnose their problems properly enough to come up with the right cure. He called them parasites, sinners and tyrants!

 

Once the proper diagnosis has been made, the solution becomes obvious.

There is an election next Tuesday!

 

  Thanks to all of you who have been sharing these articles with those you think might be interested. I value your comments and look forward to hearing what you think about these things! 

     

 

 

 

Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.

Psalms 33:1, RSV

 

One of the things that concerns me about those seeking to do the right thing for God is that they might forget that He wants us to be happy along the way. When we get too caught up in the cares of this world it is sometimes difficult to focus on the joy of this life that God has so richly blessed us with.

 

Take today, for instance. After working all morning on some chores that I have been putting off, I pulled up to the house for lunch and was greeted by my grandson.

 

He is two.

 

He brings the joy with him!

 

He has a crooked little smile that makes him look like he is always up to something. This is fine with me because the things that a two year old is up to are usually fun for grandfathers and today was no different. Our daughter had been out for a walk with he and my 10 month old granddaughter and had come by for a visit. They only stayed for a few minutes, but during that time I got to eat grapes with my grandson, at his request. He likes grapes and showed his great satisfaction as we went back for seconds. Actually they were technically second, seconds because we had already gone back for seconds earlier. Then they went home for lunch.

 

Now, you are probably wondering why I am taking so much of your valuable time with a pointless story about grandchildren and grapes, but this seemingly pointless story is at the heart of what I wanted to share with you today. So, what's the point?

 

Just this: God is good! He gives us countless moments of joy every day of our lives for no other reason than the fact that He is good and he wants us to enjoy His goodness. And what does he require in exchange for these continual and infinite small doses of joy? He wants us to be good (righteous), and he wants us to give Him the praise that befits One who is so good. 

 

This is a good trade!

 

It is true that there are lots of bad people doing bad things that have serious consequences, but that does not mean that we have to let the bad distract us from the good. I'll bet if you really thought about your day, you could come up with all sorts of moments of joy, small and large, that the Lord had showered upon you today.

 

It's all too apparent that each one of us have sobering things to deal with, and in the upcoming days I plan to write about some of these serious responsibilities we have as servants of the Lord, but today I was reminded that there is still an awful lot of joy in this beautiful life that God has given and I thought that the reminder might help you as well. 

 

Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.

Philippians 4:4, RSV

 

By the way, I truly appreciate those of you who have taken the time to like and share these articles. It helps to get the message of God's greatness to more people and I thank you for your kindness.