Tag: perish

34.f. “I have gone astray like a lost sheep”

 

Matthew 18:12  What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray? And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

 Psalms 119:176    I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.

 Isaiah 53:6     All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

 Ezekiel 34:16    I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice.

 Luke 15:4-7   “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?  And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.  And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’  Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.

 John 10:11  I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

 John 10:14   I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,

 1 Peter 2:25    For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

 Ezekiel 34:12   As a shepherd seeks out his flock when he is among his sheep that have been scattered, so will I seek out my sheep, and I will rescue them from all places where they have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness.

 Isaiah 40:11   He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.

 2 Peter 3:9   The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

For the Son of man is come to seek that which was lost. This is another, and stronger reason, why these little ones should not be despised; because Christ, who is here meant by the Son of man, came into this world to save these persons; who were lost in Adam, and had destroyed themselves by their transgressions, and carries great force in it: for if God had so great a regard to these little ones, as to send his Son to obtain eternal salvation for them, when they were in a miserable and perishing condition; and Christ had so much love for them, as to come into this world, and endure the sorrows, sufferings, and death itself for them, who were not only little, but lost; and that to obtain righteousness and life for them, and save them with an everlasting salvation; then they must, and ought to be, far above the contempt of all mortals; and the utmost care should be taken not to despise, grieve, offend, and injure them in any form or shape whatever.(Gill)

 To show still further the reason why we should not despise Christians, he introduced a parable showing the joy felt when a thing lost is found. A shepherd rejoices over the recovery of one of his flock that had wandered more than over all that remained; so God rejoices that man is restored: so he seeks his salvation, and wills that not one thus found should perish. If God thus loves and preserves the redeemed, then surely man should not despise them. (Barnes)

The searching is not sure to be rewarded. Man’s sin and always leaning toward selfish, self-centered, self-worth, and self-reliance makes the result uncertain. No one may safely go on sinning, or living in neglectful, complacent, and careless unconcern, with the expectation of being finally found and saved.  There must be a limit to the patience of God. If a man will not open his heart to the tugging of the Holy Spirit towards repentance and belief in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he will not be found and brought home. God forces no one to be saved against his will.

33.i. “hey profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.”

 

Matthew 15:1 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, Honor your father and your mother,’ and, Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

 Matthew 7:3-5    Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?

 Mark 7:13    thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

  Colossians 2:8  See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

 Colossians 2:22  These will all perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. Such restrictions indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-prescribed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body; but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

 Titus 1:10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers

 Titus 1:16  They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

 Acts 28:25-27    And disagreeing among themselves, they departed after Paul had made one statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your fathers through Isaiah the prophet:  “‘Go to this people, and say, “You will indeed hear but never understand, and you will indeed see but never perceive.”  For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’

 We can appear to draw near to God, all the while having our hearts far from Him. It is easy to want and be impressed by the image of being near to God without really doing it with our hearts. It is very bad to have a heart and mind that has convinced you of doing right when what you are doing is very wrong. What can lead to such actions in a person’s life? What can deceive a person to live like this? The truth is each and every one of us is born with a sinful nature that wants to be self-important, self-worthy, and self-reliant. When “self” is allowed any root in our hearts and minds nothing good can come from it, for it will twist God’s Word to convince us that what we are doing and thinking is right and true.  This certainly can happen very fast when our eyes and ears become deaf to God’s Word. Becoming neglectful and complacent will blind and deafen hearts and minds so fast that the recipient will not even know it has happened. 

It is time spent in God’s Word with a humbly expectant, surrendered, obedient, and reliant heart that we are renewed, daily, in our commitment to live in such a way that in all we say, think, and do Jesus Christ is honored and glorified. There are those who are so gifted in what they say and how they say it, so much so, that people are easily snatched from the right and true path to following after the wisdom and ideas of man. Doing what is right in our own eyes with our own wisdom as guidance brings no honor or glory to Jesus Christ no matter how brilliant what we are doing may seem. And so it is, neglect and complacency yield worthlessness to the very things we think are doing to honor and glorify Jesus Christ. There is no renewing of our hearts and minds. There is no room for the Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds so as to guide us in ways that honor and glorify Jesus Christ. Even with God’s Word before us, we are blind and deaf to it because our hearts and soul are not humbly expectant, surrendered, obedient, and reliant on it.
We do well to examine our hearts and minds and cultivate soil that is saturated with seeking and desiring true and pure things of God for the honor and glory of Jesus Christ. Be mindful it is not just spending time in God’s Word and knowing it that guides the souls of man.  Look at the Pharisees and Scribes, they knew God’s Word, but their hearts and minds were blind and deaf to it.  Why? Because their hearts were not humbly expectant, surrendered, obedient, and reliant on it. They were bound in self-worth, self-reliance, and self-importance. It is only when self is surrendered to Jesus Christ that seeds of honor and glory for Him alone will yield works that honor and glorify Him.

32.n. “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers”

 

Matthew 11:25  At that time Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;

 Isaiah 5:21    Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight!

 2 Corinthians 4:3-6     And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.  In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

 Isaiah 29:10-14    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.”  And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,  therefore, behold, I will again do wonderful things with this people, with wonder upon wonder; and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”

 Romans 11:8-10    as it is written, “God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day.”

 John 12:38-40     so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Lord, who has believed what he heard from us, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”  Therefore they could not believe. For again Isaiah said,  “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, lest they see with their eyes, and understand with their heart, and turn, and I would heal them.”

“You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes:” This reminds us that if we do respond to Jesus, it is because the Father has revealed these things to babes like us. God revealed Jesus to us and Jesus revealed God to us. This revealing has been rejected by most and believed by those who, by this revelation, were awakened in their heart, mind, and soul to the Holiness of God, the need for repentance and forgiveness, and the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.

“I thank you Father” ought to be our immediate response to any revelation and awaking and understanding of Scripture as we read through God’s Word.  It is God who opens our hearts and mind to understanding. As God’s Word says; “line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little there a little”, is how, from the foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we grow and continually mature. 

Just before you read God’s Word ask Him to keep distractions and temptations away and to,

  1. Reveal to your heart and mind more and more about His grace, mercy, and love. 
  2. Allow you to see areas in your life that do not bring honor and glory to Jesus Christ
  3. Give you wisdom and understanding to His Word
  4. Allow you to discern right vs wrong, truths false, and Godly vs worldly
  5. Allow you to see opportunities to share and show the Love of Jesus Christ in you

29.a. “And to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things,”

 

Colossians 1:15  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

 John 15:24   If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father.

 Hebrews 1:3    He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

 Psalms 102:25-27   Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.  They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,  but you are the same, and your years have no end.

 Isaiah 44:24   Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, who formed you from the womb: “I am the LORD, who made all things, who alone stretched out the heavens, who spread out the earth by myself,

 Ephesians 3:9   and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God, who created all things,

How smart is mankind – So smart that they can explain away the need for a Creator and replace the Creator with a big bang. The foolishness of the thought that nothing can magically form over billions of years still amazes me how really smart people believe this to be true.  Any depth of comprehension and thought would tell us this is not possible and that there must be a Creator, someone who created it.  God created all there is from planets, stars, universes, galaxies, to atoms, DNA, life, mankind, angels, light, water, time, seasons, gravity, microbiology, chemistry, and how it all works both physically and chemically.  He created everything, all of it, there is nothing in the whole universe that was not created. Nothing existed before it was created by the Creator.  It is this same Creator who reached out to fallen mankind to redeem and save them, giving them the hope of eternal life with Him.  “For God so loved the world, that He gave His [e]only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.  He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the [f]only begotten Son of God.  This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.”  

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me”

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”

“Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes”

Worship the Creator and honor and glorify Him in all that you think, say, and do.  Be in awe and wonder about such grace, mercy, and love, freely given by the Creator. To reject the offer of eternal life from the Creator will plant you in eternal hell forever.  Come to Him, yield and surrender to Him, obey Him, trust Him, and live for Him alone.

20.c. “The Lord knows those who are his”

Romans 8:29   For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

 Psalms 1:6   for the LORD knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

 Jeremiah 1:5   “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you;

 2 Timothy 2:19   But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”

 Revelation 13:8    and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.

 Ephesians 1:5   he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will,

 Ephesians 1:11   In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

Predestination can be easy or hard to understand.  I think it is easier when you become saved, born again, and made new.  It is hard as concrete to understand apart from believing in God, Jesus Christ, and the work that was done on the cross for our redemption, salvation, and forgiveness.  It is hard to fully understand God’s omnipresence, omnipotent, and omniscience.  All-knowing, all-powerful, all presence, Creator, alpha and omega, beginning and end, all truth, righteous, Holy, is our God.  If possible to say, eternal past and eternal future.  Before the foundation of creation, He predestines to call us and for us to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.  Satan will put doubts into our hearts and minds.  He will lead us to believe God can’t or won’t or just plain doesn’t have any idea what He is doing, or that if He does, He certainly won’t do it for the likes of us.  But, He did and certainly does.  He already knows who will, or won’t, surrender to His calling of repentance and belief, trust, and hope in Jesus Christ.  He knows who will harden their hearts and those who will humbly surrender to His plan and purpose of redemption.  He has prepared a place for both.  To those who harden their hearts, He has prepared eternal Hell and forever separated from Him.  To those who humbly surrendered He has prepared eternal heaven and forever present with Him.  

If you find predestination hard to understand, yield to Him first, then allow His word to begin to give you a glimpse of His will, purposes, and plans.  Certainly, we will only see glimpses of this but what we see will over-shadow all doubts and fill our hearts, minds, and souls with peace and assurance.

16.n. Fear not, I am the first and the last,  and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.”

John 8:58  Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.

Proverbs 8:22-30    “The LORD possessed me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old.  Ages ago I was set up, at the first, before the beginning of the earth.  When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no springs abounding with water.  Before the mountains had been shaped, before the hills, I was brought forth,  before he had made the earth with its fields, or the first of the dust of the world.  When he established the heavens, I was there; when he drew a circle on the face of the deep,  when he made firm the skies above, when he established the fountains of the deep,  when he assigned to the sea its limit, so that the waters might not transgress his command, when he marked out the foundations of the earth,  then I was beside him, like a master workman, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him always,

Colossians 1:17    And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.

Hebrews 1:10-12     And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands;  they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment,  like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”

Hebrews 13:8    Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

Revelation 1:17-18    When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, “Fear not, I am the first and the last,  and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

John 17:24    Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.

Before Abraham was, I AM: With this dramatic phrase Jesus told them that He was the eternal God, existing not only during the time of Abraham but before unto eternity past. We think of Jesus Christ as our redeemer and savior.  We trust in God’s Word that says He sent His Son into the world to redeem the lost and whosoever believes in Him will have eternal life.  Do you ever give thought to where He came from?  It may give you a greater appreciation for His love for you.  Before the beginning and before creation and before heavenily hosts, earth, and living plants and creatures Jesus Christ was.  He existed in eternity.  He is Holy, Pure, and True. He willingly came to earth, taking on the form of man, healed the sick, blind, deaf, lame, paralyzed, dead, proclaimed the day of salvation, suffered, died, and rose again all for the single purpose – to redeem the lost and give hope to the perishing.  Think about the grace, mercy, and love He displayed for you.  For certain you did not deserve this gift of eternal life but in and through His power, might, and love He came and bore your sins so that you might have eternal life.

When things around you are falling apart and there seems to be no reason for you to rejoice and give praise to Jesus Christ, remember who it is that gave His life just for you so that all who believe will have eternal life with Him forevermore.

16.m. “Do you believe this?”

John 8:48  The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”

John 3:15-16    that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 5:24    Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.

John 6:50   This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.

John 11:25-26     Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

If you don’t believe in God you will not believe in Jesus Christ.  If you do not believe in God and Jesus Christ you certainly will not believe in heaven or hell or judgment.  Without believing in coming judgment and heaven or hell there are secure consequences. Eternity in hell with continuous torment forever and ever.  Believing, clinging to, relying on, and trusting in Jesus Christ has secure consequences.  Eternal life. passing from death to life.  Without Jesus Christ, every single person falls short of the glory of God and has a death sentence.  Eternal hell.  In God’s love, mercy, and grace He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem and save a lost and floundering world.  He proclaimed eternal life, forgiveness, redemption, salvation, love, peace, joy, hope, etc…. and yet people still reject His offer of eternal life.  It makes no sense to reject this but countless millions intentionally choose this path for their life.  Denial and rejection of Jesus Christ end in eternal hell.  Now is the time to call on Him, confess your sin and sinful nature, and cling to, trust in, and rely on His sacrifice on the cross.  Belief and faith in Him alone equal eternal life.  There is no promise of a tomorrow for anyone.  Now is the day of salvation.  Do not keep putting off trust and belief in Jesus Christ.  Eternity in heaven or hell depends on this intentional choice.

15. “Whoever believes in him is not condemned”

John 3:16  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

James 2:19   “So you believe that there is one God? That’s fine. So do all the devils in hell and shudder in terror!”

 John 3:16 has long been celebrated as a powerful declaration of the gospel. Of the 31,102 verses in the Bible, it may be the most popular single verse used in evangelism. God did not wait for the world to turn to Him before He loved the world. He loved and gave His only begotten Son. God’s love didn’t just feel for a fallen world. God did something about it, and He gave the most precious thing to give: His only begotten Son. God loves the world, but the world does not receive or benefit from that love until it believes in Jesus, the gift that the Father gave. Believes in means much more than intellectual awareness or agreement. It means to trust in, to rely on, and to cling too. The intention of God’s love is to save. God’s love actually saves man from eternal destruction. God looks at fallen humanity, does not want it to perish, and so in His love, He extends the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. The duration of the Love of God is eternal.  Mankind’s love for one another will grow, fade, or change.  God’s Love does not change.  The love of God is limitless; it embraces all mankind.  The intent of God’s Love was to save the world not to condemn it.  His gift, Jesus Christ, was to offer salvation, rescue, forgiveness, hope, healing, joy, peace, and strength.  However, some will, in fact, be condemned as a result of Jesus Christ’s coming into the world. Jesus came to bring salvation, but those who reject that salvation condemn themselves. We never need to leave the reason for anyone’s condemnation at God’s door. The responsibility is theirs alone.   Those who consciously reject Jesus often present themselves as heroic characters who bravely put away superstition and deal honestly with deep philosophical problems. When we think of the love of sin that sends people to hell, we often other think of notorious sin. But the simple demand to be lord of my own life and trust in myself is enough of a sin to deserve condemnation before God. Some will openly express their hatred for the truth of Jesus Christ by fighting against it, others will simply express it by ignoring it, and in effect, they are saying Jesus you are not worth my time.

I sometimes think people stop reading after John 3:16.  God loves the world, God sent His Son. I will not perish. I will go to heaven.  They seem to cling to a simple belief in what the word “Belief” means.  They limit their definition of “Belief” to a viewpoint, opinion, perspective, feeling, hunch, or a principle.  This type of understanding and application of the word belief will end in condemnation.  The true definition of belief in John 3:16 means to trust in, cling too, and rely on.  The difference is, one person will be utterly saved and changed, “born again”, and the other person will be condemned.  One will have eternal life and the other eternal hell.  True belief will change a person both on the inside and outside.  If your belief does not have a deep within the heart, mind, and soul change, and reflect an outward change in how you speak and act, then your belief has not resulted in being “Born Again”, “Regenerated”, “New Creation”, or being “Child of God”.  Way too many people are satisfied with believing in Jesus Christ with only head knowledge and not a changed heart.   Believe and be saved.

14.k. “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’’

John 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

Malachi 3:1    “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.

Acts 13:24    Before his coming, John had proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

Matthew 11:10    This is he of whom it is written, “‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you.’

Acts 19:4    And Paul said, “John baptized with the baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, that is, Jesus.”

1 Timothy 2:4    who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

2 Peter 3:9    The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

After Malachi, there was a famine. Amos 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.  This famine lasted greater than 400 years and then there was John.  You have to know there were some Jewish people looking forward to this day.  They knew the scriptures that spoke of one coming to prepare the way.  They would be seeing every day as a new day closer to the coming of this messenger who was going to usher in the coming of the Lord.  And then all of a sudden there was John proclaiming repentance and the baptism of repentance. He was preparing the way for the new covenant, the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He was not the light but was witness to the light.

When you give thought to this you start to lay the foundation of God’s Grace, Mercy, and Love in your heart. This foundation shows just how much God cares for every single person and how He not only sent a messenger to bear witness to the light but also to prepare the way for each of us to understand salvation and believe in Jesus Christ.  God’s plans and timing are perfect.  God’s plan was for a famine of hearing His Word, a messenger to prepare the way,  and to send His Son.  Whenever you might think God’s love is far off remember how He reached out to you and all of mankind through the messenger, John, and through the redeemer Jesus Christ.   

13.u. “Behold, a day is coming for the Lord”

Zechariah 13:7   “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me,” declares the Lord of hosts. “Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones. In the whole land, declares the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. 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.’”

Zechariah 14:1 Behold, a day is coming for the Lord, when the spoil taken from you will be divided in your midst. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city shall be taken and the houses plundered and the women raped. Half of the city shall go out into exile, but the rest of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward.

Zechariah 14:9  And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.

In this prophecy from Zechariah we see a clear picture of Jesus Christ, the Shepherd was struck (crucified) and the scattering of the sheep took place when persecution fell on those in Jerusalem. Act 8:1  And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. We also see those who will be alive at His return to earth for the millennial reign, and the death of those who were striving to destroy Israel and His followers who came to an understanding of and trusted in salvation and redemption through Him during the tribulation period and were alive at His coming.  “His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives.” Those that come against Him will surely perish.  Those that trust in Him will surely live and they will reign with Him on earth for 1000 years.

There is more definition to the timing and what will occur in Revelation about the tribulation period when the wrath of God is poured out on all mankind for their rejection of Jesus Christ and His grace, mercy, and love.  We know that man has both physical and spiritual makeup.  The physical dies but the spirit is eternal.  Those who have rejected Jesus Christ will die physically but spiritually they will live in torment, Hell, totally separated from Jesus Christ.  This is not something to be taken lightly.  I recently had a conversation with a relative who said when he dies he knows he is going to hell and he said that he will only take up a small portion there.  I told him he is still alive and while he still has breath there is time to change that outcome.  How is it that people can take Hell so lightly?  It is because they make the sacrifice, redemption, and salvation of Jesus Christ his offer of grace, mercy, and love lightly.  I don’t know how it works, but Jesus Christ can soften hearts and harden hearts with the same offer of redemption, and salvation.  Look at Paul the leader of and the one who carried out great persecution on the early church yet his heart was softened.  Look at Pharaoh who in the light of all of the wonders displayed hardened his heart like stone.  Look at your own life and how self-centered, self-absorbed, and self-satisfied you were and somehow the Word of God softened your heart to the Good News of Jesus Christ.  Obviously it was not a work of your own thinking but the work of the Holy Spirit of God opening up your mind to understand the need and offer of redemption.  Only God knows how this works.  He is all-knowing, Holy, and just.   Somewhere in all of this is a free will choice that is made deep within the heart and soul of every person.  All I can say is that if the Holy Spirit of God is revealing the need and offer of redemption and salvation, do not reject it.  Your eternal destiny is based on this choice.