Tag: Gloom

After that comes judgment

“ because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world”

Genesis 50:19    But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God?

Deuteronomy 32:35     Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.’

Romans 12:19    Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

Job 34:19-29     who shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands?  In a moment they die; at midnight the people are shaken and pass away, and the mighty are taken away by no human hand.  “For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps.  There is no gloom or deep darkness where evildoers may hide themselves.  For God has no need to consider a man further, that he should go before God in judgment.  He shatters the mighty without investigation and sets others in their place.  Thus, knowing their works, he overturns them in the night, and they are crushed.  He strikes them for their wickedness in a place for all to see,  because they turned aside from following him and had no regard for any of his ways,  so that they caused the cry of the poor to come to him, and he heard the cry of the afflicted—  When he is quiet, who can condemn? When he hides his face, who can behold him, whether it be a nation or a man?—

Hebrews 10:30     For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”

Hebrews 9:27  And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment,

Ecclesiastes 11:9     Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

Acts 17:31    because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”

2 Corinthians 5:10    For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.

Matthew 25:31-41    “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.  Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

The easiest way to get through life without out worry of judgement from God is to deny God exists.  To do this one must look at all of creation and believe it happened by chance.  They must deny the complexity of the vast galaxies down to a single atom.  They must deny Jesus Christ existed and that His purpose on earth was to redeem mankind.  They must deny the love of God.  They must deny existence of angels and demons.  They must deny the written word of God and that it was given to mankind through men inspired and led by God.  The denial of God has eternal consequences.

Denial of God can take on many subtle forms.  Neglecting His word.  Not being intentional in living for Him.  Not seeking to be led by Him. Not desiring Him.  Not listening to Him.  Not placing Him first in all your thoughts, words, and actions.  Not allowing or acting on the conviction of the Holy Spirit to walk blameless before Him.

How can we humbly serve, honor, glorify, follow and obey God if our walk with Him is shallow, self centered, and with our eyes focused on what this world has to offer?  How can we grow in our walk with Him when we think we are good enough as we are and in need of no change or understanding of what it means to walk with and humbly serve God?

Judgement is coming, but it is not for the judgement of God we seek to do right and good, but rather because of who God is and His love for us.  Some children grow up with the fear of punishment from their parents and this keeps them from doing wrong.  Others fear getting caught and that keeps them from doing wrong.  Others do not do wrong so as not to disappoint their parents.  Yet these are all self serving reasons.  Oh how great the child who not only seeks not to do wrong but chooses to do good to bring honor their parents.

Commit to living intentionally to bring honor and glory to God rather than advert judgement.

The eyes of the LORD are in every place

“And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Genesis 16:13  So she called the name of the LORD who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.”

Genesis 31:42    If the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the Fear of Isaac, had not been on my side, surely now you would have sent me away empty-handed. God saw my affliction and the labor of my hands and rebuked you last night.”

Psalms 139:1-12   O LORD, you have searched me and known me!  You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.  You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.  Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.  You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.  Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?  If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,  even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.  If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,”  even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you.

Proverbs 5:21     For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths.

Proverbs 15:3     The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.

2 Chronicles 16:9     For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.”

Jeremiah 32:19    great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.

Job 34:21-22     “For his eyes are on the ways of a man, and he sees all his steps.  There is no gloom or deep darkness where evildoers may hide themselves.

Jeremiah 16:17     For my eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from me, nor is their iniquity concealed from my eyes.

Ask most parents about how much they keep their eyes on their infants and young children and they will tell you all of the time.  Why do parents do this – to protect from harm of others or themselves, encourage and teach.  Parents know all to well how fast little ones will find opportunity to make a mess, do something unsafe, or something else.  Some of these moments are captured on social media and we all get a scare or good laugh.  As much as parents want to think they are always there to watch and protect they just can’t be everywhere all the time, nor can they know the thoughts their young children had leading up to what ever goes wrong, or they would have interceded and stopped it.

God watches all, knows all, and sees all the thoughts and actions of man.  It is almost unfathomable to think how this is possible but it is with God. Those seeking to learn of Him and walk in His ways will find God’s hand leading them and life fulfilling.  Those that disregard Him and choose to live according to their own ways will find life lacking, without purpose, and a burden.

That I may live and keep your word.

Psalms 119:17  Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word.  Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.  I am a sojourner on the earth; hide not your commandments from me!  My soul is consumed with longing for your rules at all times.  You rebuke the insolent, accursed ones, who wander from your commandments.  Take away from me scorn and contempt, for I have kept your testimonies.  Even though princes sit plotting against me, your servant will meditate on your statutes.  Your testimonies are my delight; they are my counselors.

Isaiah 29:10-12     For the LORD has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes (the prophets), and covered your heads (the seers).  And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.”  And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot read.”

Isaiah 29:18     In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see.

Isaiah 32:3     Then the eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will give attention.

Isaiah 35:5     Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped;

Matthew 13:13     This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

Matthew 16:17    And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

John 9:39     Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.”

Acts 26:18    to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

2 Corinthians 3:14-18     But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.  Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts.  But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed.

Ephesians 1:17-18     that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him,  having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

This is true  a love of God not desiccated by study but refreshed, informed and nourished by it.”

The Psalmist didn’t need new revelation; he needed to see the revelation that was already given. He didn’t need new eyes; he needed to see with the eyes he already had.

“In order to keep God’s word, must we not pray to understand it? What then is this prayer? Not – give me a plainer Bible – but open my eyes to know my Bible. Not – show me some new revelations beside the law – but make me behold the wonders of the law.” (Bridges)

There are wondrous things in Scripture; but they can only be seen when the eyes are opened by God.

It also means that not everyone sees the wondrous things in God’s word, but that when one does see them, they should regard it as evidence of God’s blessing and favor.

God has given man a sense of wonder, and there are certain things that prompt it. The new and unexpected can cause wonder; the beautiful and great and cause wonder, and the mysterious and unknown can cause wonder. We can say that God has provided for this sense of wonder by giving us His word. The Holy Spirit can make us alive to the Bible, and constantly see things that are new and unexpected; things that are great and beautiful; things that are mysterious and unknown. It is a shame to many Christians that they look for their sense of wonderful to be satisfied without looking to the Word of God.

Think of all there is in the Bible that you don’t see. Think of all the wonder, all the treasure that is there, but you don’t see it. You can see such things, though you can’t see everything, and sometimes you will think you see things that are not really there. Yet those who see more than you are not necessarily smarter or better; their eyes are just more open.

“If we want to see wonderful things in the Scriptures, it is not enough for us merely to ask God to open our eyes that we might see them. We must also study the Bible carefully. The Holy Spirit is given not to make our study unnecessary but to make it effective.” (Boice)

Who can Endure

“How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?”

Malachi 3:2  But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiner’s fire and like fullers’ soap.

Zechariah 13:9    And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The LORD is my God.’”

Malachi 3:5  “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the adulterers, against those who swear falsely, against those who oppress the hired worker in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, against those who thrust aside the sojourner, and do not fear me, says the LORD of hosts.

Matthew 3:7  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham.  Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Amos 5:18  Woe to you who desire the day of the LORD! Why would you have the day of the LORD? It is darkness, and not light,  as if a man fled from a lion, and a bear met him, or went into the house and leaned his hand against the wall, and a serpent bit him.  Is not the day of the LORD darkness, and not light, and gloom with no brightness in it?

We need to be very conscious of our commitment to God.  Note the words of prophets who declared the coming of the Lord.  When the Lord returns He comes with judgment.  Everyone will face Him for what they have done in their life and for the commitment, desire, and purpose they have lived it.  I wonder if we claim the love, mercy and grace of God but do not give thought to what it means to live in knowledge of this.  If we have basic understanding of His holiness and our sinfulness we see this love, mercy and grace from God with thankfulness and a desire to live our life worthy of humbly serving, honoring, following and obeying Him.  Any other response or demonstration from our life is lacking in service to God.  Keep God first and subject all in life to understanding what it means to fully live for Him.

They did not Listen

“Give glory to the LORD your God before he brings darkness, before your feet stumble on the twilight mountains, and while you look for light he turns it into gloom and makes it deep darkness.”

“But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me.  So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.”

Malachi 2:1  “And now, O priests, this command is for you,  If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of hosts.

Deuteronomy 28:15  “But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD your God or be careful to do all his commandments and his statutes that I command you today, then all these curses shall come upon you and overtake you.

“All these curses shall come upon you and pursue you and overtake you till you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that he commanded you.  They shall be a sign and a wonder against you and your offspring forever.  Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things,

Your life shall hang in doubt before you. Night and day you shall be in dread and have no assurance of your life.  In the morning you shall say, ‘If only it were evening!’ and at evening you shall say, ‘If only it were morning!’ because of the dread that your heart shall feel, and the sights that your eyes shall see.

Isaiah 30:8  And now, go, write it before them on a tablet and inscribe it in a book, that it may be for the time to come as a witness forever.  For they are a rebellious people, lying children, children unwilling to hear the instruction of the LORD;  who say to the seers, “Do not see,” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us what is right; speak to us smooth things, prophesy illusions,  leave the way, turn aside from the path, let us hear no more about the Holy One of Israel.”  Therefore thus says the Holy One of Israel, “Because you despise this word and trust in oppression and perverseness and rely on them,  therefore this iniquity shall be to you like a breach in a high wall, bulging out and about to collapse, whose breaking comes suddenly, in an instant;

With all of the promises in God’s word for blessings I wonder if we overlook the warnings.  Notice “if you do not listen”, if you do not take to heart”, and “because they did not listen” make known the warning and actions taken by God.  God is not mocked – what a man sows so shall he reap.  With God in our lives we have peace, hope, joy, comfort, and rest.  He is our rock, refuge, strength and power.  In Him we can do all things and endure all things.  Desire to know Him.  Commit to humbly serving Him.   Honor, follow, and obey Him.  Listen for the whispers of guidance as you read His word and contemplate it. Our purpose this side of eternity is to serve Him fully.

Message Declared

“For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?”

Joe 2:11
The LORD utters his voice before his army, for his camp is exceedingly great; he who executes his word is powerful. For the day of the LORD is great and very awesome; who can endure it?

Jeremiah 25:30
“You, therefore, shall prophesy against them all these words, and say to them: “‘The LORD will roar from on high, and from his holy habitation utter his voice; he will roar mightily against his fold, and shout, like those who tread grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.

Revelation 18:8
For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”

Zephaniah 1:15
A day of wrath is that day, a day of distress and anguish, a day of ruin and devastation, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and thick darkness,

Nahum 1:6
Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure the heat of his anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks are broken into pieces by him.

1 Thessalonians 4:15
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

Malachi
But who can endure the day of his coming, and who can stand when he appears?

Hebrews 2:2
For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?

Numbers 24:23 And he took up his discourse and said, “Alas, who shall live when God does this?

Scripture is full of God’s wrath and coming judgement in equal or greater proportion to His grace, mercy and love.  We talk about the later and quote scripture “For God so loved the world” “Who can separate us from the love of God” “God has steadfast love” very often about His love.  We talk about the what we receive when we come to Him for forgiveness and say “cleansed, peace, joy, hope, love, rest, heaven, eternity”  When I think about this aren’t we diluting how great this grace, mercy and love are when we leave out His righteous judgement?  Think about what is due us “chaos, lost, darkness, without love, pain, hell, separation, alone, without hope, without peace, restless, joyless, always searching”.  Do not lose sight of His coming judgment and what has been freely given to those who choose to come to Him through His son.  Christ was willing to go to the cross to save us from this pending judgement and we should be ever mindful and thankful for both the saving from judgement and blessing through His sacrifice.  Coming to Christ is not to receive an insurance policy from hell.  If this is all that our life reflects we deserve a more severe judgement than those who flat out deny God because we have tasted His grace, love, and mercy and deny it to enter our everyday life.