Every Heart Must Prepare to Meet the Lord God Almighty! Why? How?

Think awhile upon who it is that you have to meet! You must meet, your God — your God! That is, offended justice you must meet whose laws you have broken, whose penalties you have ridiculed; justice righteously indignant with its sword drawn you must confront. You must meet your God; that is, you must be examined, by unblinded omniscience. He who has seen your heart, and read your thoughts, and jotted down your affections, and remembered your idle words, you must meet him; and infinite discernment you must meet; those eyes that never yet were duped; the God who will see through the veils of hypocrisy and all the concealments of formality. There will be no making yourself out to be better than you are before him” (Spurgeon).[1]

        Amos, as the Prophet of God, was tasked to tell a nation of its sins during a time of great prosperity.  At least the elites lived with great royalty and richness while trampling on the poor and needy.  Believing themselves to be wiser and entitled, the elite lived lives of grandeur while forcing the rest to suffer beneath their foolish decisions.  This angered God.  After all they would themselves have nothing were it not for God’s grace to them.  So how was it that they were themselves so selfish and cold.  Therefore, God commanded them to prepare to meet the Lord God Almighty and face judgment. 

He had sent periods of famine, pestilence, drought, and national disasters to get their attention. Yet, they did not return to worshiping God in truth and sincerity.  Hence, God announced through His prophet Amos that judgement must come. Every heart must prepare to meet the Lord God Almighty.

        Are we not already there as a nation?  The elites do not seek God. As demonstrated by their actions, they do not even know the Lord God Almighty.  Indeed, their guilt mirrors that of the nation of Israel in Amos’ day.  In Chapter 4 of Amos, he refers to the elites as fat cows which oppress the poor and crush the needy.  Demanding their luxuries, believing themselves worthy of adoration; they failed to see anything apart from fulfilling their own desires.  Somehow, they felt they deserved everything. Thereby having the right to command adoration of all the people.  But God did not see them as such.  He, in perfect righteousness, came to judge them and proclaim their forthcoming demise.

Prepare to Meet the Lord God Almighty- A Just and Righteous King

“Hear this word, you cows of Bashan,
    who are on the mountain of Samaria,
(They) who oppress the poor, who crush the needy,
    who say to your husbands, ‘Bring, that we may drink!’
2 The Lord God has sworn by his holiness
    that, behold, the days are coming upon you,
when they shall take you away with hooks,
    even the last of you with fishhooks.
3 And you shall go out through the breaches,
    each one straight ahead;
    and you shall be cast out into Harmon,”
declares the Lord.

The Assyrians were known for their cruelty.  When they captured a people, they would strip them.  Then they would string them naked together with fishhooks placed through their lower lips to march hundreds of miles to another land chained to each other. 

Yet, none of this could happen had God not ordained it to be so.  As we saw earlier in Amos 3 (NET):

6 If a [c]trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid?
If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?7 Surely the Lord God does nothing,
Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets.
8 A lion has roared!
Who will not fear?
The Lord God has spoken!
Who can but prophesy?

        All that we see happening today around us is providential.  None of it can happen unless God in His Sovereign will ordain it.  He, who resides outside of our time, space continuum, knows all things and works it all to His Sovereign Will.  Only God knows how all the threads fit perfectly together to complete the tapestry of each of our lives. 

The Sovereign Will of God

        As to nations. God is still in control of all things.  All that He has spoken in times past through His prophets will come to pass, just as it did in the olden days.  So shall it happen just as He has said.  For that reason, we know that there will be famines, pestilence, droughts, wars, and rumors of wars occurring with increasing frequency and intensity until His Glorious Return.  Governments will rise and fall; yet every leader, President, and King are placed by God to accomplish His purpose ultimately. There are no mistakes.

The Assyrians could not have conquered Israel except God ordained it.  He did so with the ultimate plan to cleanse the nation of Israel and to sustain a people from whom Christ would be born.  Could God have done it another way?  If so, why would He have allowed His Son to bear the wrath for our sin?  Instead, He allows all this so that He might hold fast to His Justice, His Righteousness, and provide a way for Mercy, Love and Grace to be displayed to all who will come. 

The Great Mystery

        I do not pretend to understand in my limited world with time and space restraints how both Free Will, and God’s Complete Sovereignty are both true at the same time.  But they are and for now I accept this truth by faith.  The same as I do not pretend to know how my momentary prayer is heard and answered by a God who already saw the future before I spoke it. However, both His omniscience and God’s grace in answering prayer are true and vibrant at the same time.   One day I will understand it all.  But in the meantime, we must realize that one day we will meet the Lord God Almighty and on that day we will fully understand. 

Then I Will See Him Face to Face

One day I will meet the Lord God Almighty, face to face.  I daresay when I see the depths of evil my own heart is capable of, I will be overwhelmed by the degree of Grace I was given. 

No longer will I see others in the same light.  Instead, I will see them through the eyes of God who patiently continued to attempt to draw them to Himself by whatever means necessary.  He desires for all to be saved; however, He will not force any to love Him.  For then that would not be love.  Nor can I choose Him unless He drew me to Him, for a dead spirit could not come alive if He had not drawn. 

To One Day Meet the Lord God Almighty—With Hearts Wide Open

Not only did God criticize the elite for their cruelty to the poor and oppressed, but also for their phony worship. 

4 “Come to Bethel, and transgress;
    to Gilgal, and multiply transgression;
bring your sacrifices every morning,
    your tithes every three days;
5 offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving of that which is leavened,
    and proclaim freewill offerings, publish them;
    for so you love to do, O people of Israel!”
declares the Lord God.  Amos 4: (ESV)

They went through the motions of pretending to worship and perform the rituals.  But their hearts were wicked through and through.  They carried out the acts of worship; but not as God had ordained them to.  How often is that true today in our society and churches? 

The Patience of God (Amos 4: NET)

Famine

6 “But surely I gave[u] you no food to eat in all your cities;

you lacked food everywhere you lived.[v]
Still you did not come back to me.”
The Lord is speaking
7 “I withheld rain from you three months before the harvest.[w]

Draught and Flooding

I gave rain to one city, but not to another.
One field[x] would get rain, but the field that received no rain dried up.
8 People from[y] two or three cities staggered into one city to get[z] water,
but remained thirsty.[aa]
Still you did not come back to me.”
The Lord is speaking

Pestilence and Disease


9 “I destroyed your crops[ab] with blight and disease.

Locusts kept[ac] devouring your orchards,[ad] vineyards, fig trees, and olive trees.
Still you did not come back to me.”
The Lord is speaking
10 “I sent against you a plague like one of the Egyptian plagues.[ae]

Wars and Death

I killed your young men with the sword,
along with the horses you had captured.
I made the stench from the corpses[af] rise up into your nostrils.
Still you did not come back to me.”
The Lord is speaking
11 “I overthrew some of you the way God[ag] overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.[ah]

You were like a burning stick[ai] snatched from the flames.
Still you did not come back to me.”
The Lord is speaking

He speaks in prosperity, beauty, and love. However, He also speaks in famine, draught, rain, wars, pestilence, diseases, sorrows, and fire; yet, we as stiff necked people do not return to Him.  He knows that the only thing that will satisfy our hearts is a relationship with Him, so He tries every means possible to turn our eyes toward Him.  Yet, still we do not return to worship Him as we should.

God Speaks to Israel, but the same is true for each of us.

“Therefore this is what I will do to you, Israel.

Because I will do this to you,
prepare to meet your God, Israel!”[aj]
13 For here he is!

He[ak] formed the mountains and created the wind.
(God) reveals[al] His plans[am] to men.
He turns the dawn into darkness[an]
and marches on the heights of the earth.
The Lord God of Heaven’s Armies[ao] is His name!  Amos 4 (NET)

How Do We Prepare to Meet the Lord God Almighty?

We will all meet Him one day, face to face.  One day every knee shall bow and proclaim Him as Lord.

God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Philippians 2 (ESV)

So, if now we understand why this is so important. Should we not also consider how? After all something so important as to determine our eternity should be considered.

First, Do You Know Him as Lord and Savior?

Knowing that we will meet Him face to face, one must consider their own destiny?  What have you done with Jesus, today? Have you rejected Him as Savior? Or have you chosen to Mirror Him with Your life? He who deserves all our honor, worship, and praise, do you know Him? 

To be prepared to meet the Lord God Almighty, one must first Know Him as Lord and Savior. There is no other way of Salvation apart from accepting Jesus Christ as God’s only Son.  He was crucified to pay the price for our sins and raised again to newness of life by the Power of God the Father through the Workings of the Holy Spirit.  That is the power of salvation.  Therefore, salvation is by faith in the Risen Lord Jesus who paid the price for our sins.  We may then come to Him, truly repentant of our sins to ask for salvation. 

if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.  Romans 10: 9-10 (ESV). 

Study His Word

 I rise before the dawning of the morning,
And cry for help;
I hope in Your word.
148 My eyes are awake through the night watches,
That I may meditate on Your word.
149 Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness;
O Lord, revive me according to Your justice. Psalm 119:147-149 (NKJV)

When I truly recognize that only God is my hope, my joy, in life or death—then I cannot wait to spend time with Him.  The lures of TV or social media become less as I seek Him more.  Knowing Him satisfies my thirsty soul as nothing else can do.

Prayer-Praise, repentance, and then petition.

Prayer becomes a means of worship.  First, we praise His name

Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
2 For the Lord Most High is awesome;
He is a great King over all the earth.
3 He will subdue the peoples under us,
And the nations under our feet.
4 He will choose our inheritance for us,
The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah

5 God has gone up with a shout,
The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
7 For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with understanding.

8 God reigns over the nations;
God sits on His holy throne.

Psalm 47: (NKJV)

      Second, repentance

                these things we write to you that [a]your joy may be full.

5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.   I John 1: 4-10 (NKJV)

Third is petition,

 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4: 6-7 (ESV). 

Or as better laid out by one of my students: Prayer can best be remembered by the Acronym ACTS

Adoration

Confession

Thanksgiving

Supplication

Concluding thoughts:

If we seek Him morning and night, we will see our hearts transformed.  Therein we will find peace, joy everlasting, humility, hope, and learn to love as He loves.  Why?  Because the more time we spend with Him, the more we recognize the power of the Holy Spirit that indwells us.

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [b]gentleness, self-control.  Galatians 6

If I use this, much like a thermometer, to gauge my spiritual state at any time, I will know also when I need to spend more time with Him. 

And sometimes, I find that song is how I find Him again. Song lifts high to the throne of God.   For He always is surrounded by song.  To Him, my song is sweet, even if only to Him.

LORD HAVE MERCY BY MATT BOSWELL AND MATT PAPA[2]

Vs 1
For what we have done and left undone
We fall on Your countless mercies
For sins that are known and those unknown
We call on Your name so holy
For envy and pride, for closing our eyes
For scorning our very neighbor
In thought word and deed we’ve failed You our King
How deeply we need a Savior

Chorus
Lord have mercy Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy on us (repeat)

Vs 2
For what You have done Your life of love
You perfectly lived we praise You
Though tempted and tried You fixed Your eyes
You finished the work God gave You
And there on the tree A King among thieves
You bled for a world’s betrayal
You loved to the end Our merciful friend
How pure and forever faithful

Bridge
For hearts that are cold for seizing control
For scorning our very Maker
In thought word and deed we’ve failed You our King
How deeply we need a Savior

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

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4 Messengers Declaring Justice, Righteousness, and Enduring Love to A Broken Nation

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Photo licensed through Goodsalt.com

[1] Spurgeon, Charles Haddon “The New Park Street Pulpit” Volumes 1-6 and “The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit” Volumes 7-63 (Pasadena, Texas: Pilgrim Publications, 1990)

[2] https://store.gettymusic.com/us/song/lord-mercy-done/

4 Messengers Declaring Justice, Righteousness, and Enduring Love to A Broken Nation

61 The cords of the wicked have encircled and ensnared me,
But I have not forgotten Your law.
62 At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You
Because of Your righteous ordinances.
64 The earth, O LORD, is full of Your loving kindness and goodness;
Teach me Your statutes.
Psalm 119 (AMP)

Last week we finished I and II Kings. We watched the nation of Israel go from a flourishing powerful nation who worshipped God into divided kingdoms chasing after sinful, pagan religiosity.  Once divided, each became prey to the evil ideologies from nations previously conquered.  Instead of being the beacon of light to the world they were called to be, they became darkness themselves.  Only a few worshipped Yahweh (the great I AM) as Adonai (Lord and Master).  They turned their backs on the One True God. Instead, they chased after gods of their own making.  Believing themselves to be wise they became fools.  Yet, even when it appeared all was lost.  God sent 4 messengers declaring Justice, Righteousness, and enduring love to a divided and broken nation.

Over the next few months, we will study four prophets present during the final years before Israel was taken captive by the Assyrians.  Amos, Jonah, and Hosea were prophets to Israel.  Meanwhile, Micah prophesied to both Judah (the 2 southern tribes) and Israel (the 10 Northern tribes). 

Amos, the burden bearer, was a shepherd. He proclaimed the righteousness and justice of God to a proud, self-righteous people.  Jonah dealt with a national pride built upon the false premise God only protected and saved His people because of their heritage, never considering their obedience or lack thereof.  Hosea presented a picture of God’s enduring love and desire to mend the brokenness brought on by sin.  An unconditional love mourning for the sinner who chooses and is broken by worldly pleasures. Micah clearly presents the horror of sin, the necessary judgement, as well as the gracious hope brought by God’s enduring love.

As we study these prophets, let us pray our hearts see God’s message to us in our nation and our world today.

Warnings In the Midst of Prosperity

There were times that God prospered the nation of Israel.  Would they not worship and praise Him for all He did for them?  But alas, they like we often are, forgetting the Giver of the Gifts and worship the gifts themselves.  Is that not true of this our great nation as well?  So, are these warnings for our nation also?   Where are we to turn for our guidance and hope as we face a nation so divided?  We feel the despair of a nation divided, worsened by the speech presented on 9/1/2022.  That speech condemned all those who stand for conservative ideologies and faith, demanding that we accept all the brokenness of sin in silence.  So, what are we to do? 

Certainly, we are not to fight the battle with anger, bitterness, or hatred.  Instead, we are called to arm ourselves with the truth of the Bible, our only Sword being His Word.  Our battle position is on our knees in humility and faith.  Much like Amos, Hosea, and Micah, we are to teach regardless of the response.  We do so by trusting God with all our heart, soul, and strength, knowing He will accomplish all He has planned.  Much as He called Jonah to speak, we are to obey even when we do not understand.  Declaring justice, righteousness, and enduring love to a broken nation is our calling today.

We may do so with great grief and sorrow.  Perhaps we will face imprisonment or loss in the process.  Yet we must remember He has already won the victory.  That is what gives us the strength to face whatever may come.   

Declaring Justice, Righteousness, and Enduring Love to A Broken Nation

Amos was a shepherd called to leave the quiet abode beneath the stars to preach to a nation who did not want to hear anything.  He had to leave the sheep he loved and cared for to go forth to a stubborn people.  So blinded by their pride they did not realize their need and refused to listen. 

Amos begins with telling the people of God’s judgement against six of the surrounding nations for their transgressions.  At that point, perhaps the people were cheering.  After all they deserved God’s wrath.  Look at them!  Sinners the whole bunch.  Yet, that is not where God stopped.  He began to point out that He would also judge both Judah and Israel for their sins as well.  After all, was not their guilt even worse?  He had walked with them, protected them, and given them all His statutes.  The blessings and prosperity were gifts of love.  His patience and enduring love reached forth with such depth of care that His heart broke with their disobedience and disregard of Him.  He wanted what was best.  Knowing His Love, Justice and Righteousness are the only hope of true joy and peace, He wanted them to have it all. 

Therefore, because He gave them so much, their guilt was even greater.  Instead of being a beacon of light to the world they chose darkness.

A message of justice, righteousness, and enduring love from God

6If an alarm sounds[f] in a city, do people not fear?[g]
If disaster overtakes a[h] city, is the Lord not responsible?[i]
7 Certainly the Sovereign Lord does nothing without first revealing his plan to his servants the prophets.
8 A lion has roared![j] Who is not afraid?
The Sovereign Lord has spoken. Who can refuse to prophesy? Amos 3: (NET)

Is not God calling forth His warning today as well?  Do our hearts not cry forth desiring justice?  Ah, but we can trust in Him!  The prophets have told us this is what will come and be not afraid. 

10 Don’t be afraid, for I am with you!
Don’t be frightened, for I am your God![b]
I strengthen you—
yes, I help you—
yes, I uphold you with my victorious right hand![c]
11 Look, all who were angry at you will be ashamed and humiliated;
your adversaries[d] will be reduced to nothing[e] and perish.  Isaiah 41 (NET)

Therefore, Stand Firm and Trust the Justice, Righteousness and Enduring Love of God

He brings an end to wars throughout the earth.[a]
He shatters[b] the bow and breaks[c] the spear;
he burns[d] the shields with fire.[e]
10 He says,[f] “Stop your striving and recognize[g] that I am God.
I will be exalted[h] over[i] the nations! I will be exalted over[j] the earth!”
11 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is on our side![k]
The God of Jacob[l] is our stronghold![m] (Selah)  Psalm 46 (NET)

Therefore, we are to present our hearts as a living sacrifice to God to be used as He desires.  Put on the whole Armor of God

Ephesians 6 (NET)

10 Finally, be strengthened in the Lord and in the strength of his power. 11 Clothe yourselves with the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand against the schemes[u] of the devil. 12 For our struggle[v] is not against flesh and blood,[w] but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world rulers of this darkness,[x] against the spiritual forces[y] of evil in the heavens.[z] 13 For this reason, take up the full armor of God so that you may be able to stand your ground[aa] on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand.

14 Stand firm therefore, by fastening[ab] the belt of truth around your waist,[ac] by putting on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 by fitting your[ad] feet with the preparation that comes from the good news[ae] of peace,[af] 16 and in all of this,[ag] by taking up the shield[ah] of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation[ai] and the sword[aj] of the Spirit (which is the word of God). 18 With every prayer and petition, pray[ak] at all times in the Spirit, and to this end[al] be alert, with all perseverance and petitions for all the saints. 19 Pray[am] for me also, that I may be given the right words when I begin to speak[an]—that I may confidently make known[ao] the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may be able to speak boldly as I ought to speak.

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

PREVIOUS

How Sad!  We watch as People forsake the One True God

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Photo licensed through Goodsalt.com

How Sad!  We watch as People forsake the One True God

The book of Kings began with the building of the temple and ends with its destruction.  How sad!  A nation broken and destroyed to near extinction as we watch a people forsake the One True God.  A journey from true worship to the necessary destruction of apostasy. Throughout the journey, God remained patient, merciful, holding fast to the covenant promises.  In every stage there were the few, the remnant who trusted in Him.  Those who sought after Him with all their heart.  No, these were not perfect.  For the best of men, were men at best.  The same is true of women.  Sin lures the hearts of humanity to believe the lies.  Somehow believing that whatever the heart desires will bring peace. Yet, throughout all of history we find, human desires only lead to more destruction.  As we can see today.  Now.  In the world we live in.

Each day, a part of me cries out much like Jeremiah the prophet concerning Judah during the last days before their captivity.  I look around and I weep.  Yet this I do know!  God is in control.  He is Sovereign!  Does He weep also?  Yes, but He also rejoices for those who know Him.  His creation-People forsake Him the One True God in search for their own Utopia that cannot exist without Him.  He knows the futility.  Yet, He waits for one more to be saved.  One day, He will say, “Today sound the trumpets, call home the bride for final preparation of their wedding.”  That will begin the end times.  Many more will be saved during the tribulation, but they will be the martyrs.  The bride will have left and will return with Him for the Millennial reign of Christ.    How sad for all those who forsake the one true God.    

How Sad

We left off last week with Hezekiah establishing worship once more in Judah.  When he died his son Manasseh became king.

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned for fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother[a] was Hephzibah. 2 He did evil in the sight of[b] the Lord and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the nations[c] whom the Lord drove out before the Israelites. 3 He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole just as King Ahab of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky[d] and worshiped[e] them. 4 He built altars in the Lord’s temple, about which the Lord had said, “Jerusalem will be my home.”[f] 5 In the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple he built altars for all the stars in the sky. 6 He passed his son[g] through the fire[h] and practiced divination and omen reading. He set up a ritual pit to conjure up underworld spirits and appointed magicians to supervise it.[i] He did a great amount of evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking him to anger.[j]

7 He put an idol of Asherah he had made in the temple, about which the Lord had said to David and to his son Solomon, “This temple in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will be my permanent home.[k] 8 I will not make Israel again leave the land I gave to their ancestors,[l] provided that they carefully obey all I commanded them, the whole law my servant Moses ordered them to obey.” 9 But they did not obey,[m] and Manasseh misled them so that they sinned more than the nations whom the Lord had destroyed from before the Israelites. 2 Kings 21 ESV

People forsake the One True God

Society tends to follow its leaders rather than to stand up themselves.  Why?  Some for fear.  Others just march along like blind sheep heading straight to slaughter.

10 So the Lord announced through[n] his servants the prophets: 11 “King Manasseh of Judah has committed horrible sins.[o] He has sinned more than the Amorites before him and has encouraged Judah to sin by worshiping his disgusting idols.[p] 12 So this is what the Lord God of Israel has said, ‘I am about to bring disaster on Jerusalem and Judah. The news will reverberate in the ears of those who hear about it.[q] 13 I will destroy Jerusalem the same way I did Samaria and the dynasty of Ahab.[r] I will wipe Jerusalem clean, just as one wipes a plate on both sides.[s] 14 I will abandon this last remaining tribe among my people[t] and hand them over to their enemies; they will be plundered and robbed by all their enemies,[u] 15 because they have done evil in my sight[v] and have angered me from the time their ancestors left Egypt right up to this very day!’”

16 Furthermore Manasseh killed so many innocent people, he stained Jerusalem with their blood from end to end,[w] in addition to encouraging Judah to sin by doing evil in the sight of the Lord.[x] 2 Kings 21 ESV

Were It Not For the Mercy of the One True God

That should have been it.  Done.  Why keep extending mercy to such stubborn and stiffnecked people who continuously turn away from the one true God to chase after pleasures and idol worship.  Had they not seen?  Did they not hear?  Ah but God even extended mercy to King Manasseh.

  10 And the Lord spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they would not [d]listen. 11 Therefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh with [e]hooks, bound him with [f]bronze fetters, and carried him off to Babylon. 12 Now when he was in affliction, he implored the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, 13 and prayed to Him; and He received his entreaty, heard his supplication, and brought him back to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord was God.

14 After this he built a wall outside the City of David on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, as far as the entrance of the Fish Gate; and it enclosed Ophel, and he raised it to a very great height. Then he put military captains in all the fortified cities of Judah. 15 He took away the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord and in Jerusalem; and he cast them out of the city. 16 He also repaired the altar of the Lord, sacrificed peace offerings and thank offerings on it, and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel. 17 Nevertheless the people still sacrificed on the [g]high places, but only to the Lord their God.  2 Chronicles 33 ESV

Heading Toward Destruction, How Sad, But God

Despite his humbling himself and returning to God, his son Amon had not learned from his father.  He did evil in the sight of God.  So much so, that his own servants rose up and killed him.  The people continuing to forsake the one true God, then killed the servants.  So, Josiah, Manasseh’s other son became King at the age of 8. 

He did what the Lord approved[a] and followed in his ancestor David’s footsteps;[b] he did not deviate to the right or the left.

3 In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his ancestor[c] David. In his twelfth year he began ridding[d] Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, Asherah poles, idols, and images. 4 He ordered the altars of the Baals to be torn down,[e] and broke the incense altars that were above them. He smashed the Asherah poles, idols, and images, crushed them, and sprinkled the dust over the tombs of those who had sacrificed to them. 5 He burned the bones of the pagan priests[f] on their altars; he purified Judah and Jerusalem. 6 In the cities of Manasseh, Ephraim, and Simeon, as far as Naphtali, and in the ruins[g] around them, 7 he tore down the altars and Asherah poles, demolished the idols, and smashed all the incense altars throughout the land of Israel. Then he returned to Jerusalem.  2 Chronicles 3 ESV

The King’s heart broke. 

How Sad he was watching the people forsake the one true God.  As he did all this, he began the restoration of the temple where the law was found.  When the law was read to him, he felt the weight of sorrow upon him.  He knew all that he had done was not enough. When he recognized the truth of God’s righteousness, justice, and magnificent glory, he recognized his own unworthiness. The more I know of Him, the less I think of me as well. I see the depth of darkness lurking in the edges of my heart and am humbled at how He could love me so.

11 When the king heard the words of the law scroll, he tore his clothes. 12 The king ordered Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Achbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah the king’s servant…13 “Go, seek an oracle from[l] the Lord for me and the people—for all Judah. Find out about the words of this scroll that has been discovered. For the Lord’s great fury has been ignited against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words of this scroll by doing all that it instructs us to do.” 2 Kings 22.  ESV

A Message of Grace

The priests as sent forth by King Josiah to seek the Lord’s message went to a prophetess who returned these words to him.

“This is what the Lord has said: ‘I am about to bring disaster on this place and its residents, all the things in the scroll that the king of Judah has read. 17 This will happen because they have abandoned me and offered sacrifices[q] to other gods, angering me with all the idols they have made.[r] My anger will ignite against this place and will not be extinguished!’” 18 Say this to the king of Judah, who sent you to seek an oracle from the Lord: “This is what the Lord God of Israel has said concerning the words you have heard:

19 ‘You displayed a sensitive spirit[s] and humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard how I intended to make this place and its residents into an appalling example of an accursed people.[t] You tore your clothes and wept before me, and I have heard you,’ says the Lord. 20 ‘Therefore I will allow you to die and be buried in peace.[u] You will not have to witness[v] all the disaster I will bring on this place.’’ Then they reported back to the king. 2Kings 22 ESV

One Last Revival to the One True God

Josiah re-instituted the Passover and supplied all the lambs and bulls needed for the people.  This was a great time.  But in the end, there were some who believed and others who just followed the procedures; yet, in their hearts they still forsake the One True God.  Why do I say that?  Well, so quickly upon his death, all hell broke out again.

After Josiah, his son returned along with the people to doing every evil act imaginable.  That is until Judah was taken captive by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon.  He ransacked and destroyed the temple which had been once filled with God’s presence.  Still God did not give up on the remnant of believers.  He still one day sent His Son to earth to die on a cruel cross for such people as we are.  His grace and patience have continued to hold back the ultimate of evil that humans are capable of. Allowing those moments in which all can glimpse His miraculous glorious love, righteousness and justice on display.   

How Sad the Heart of Habakkuk Until He Understood

Habakkuk was very frustrated as a prophet.  First, he wanted God to do something to just fix it with a snap of His hand.  However, God said that would not be the way.  Instead, the Babylonians would take the people captive.  Only then would the nation be cleansed to begin again with the remnant.  At first Habakkuk resisted this plan.  Then he realized the depth of God’s grace as God revealed it to him.  He concluded with this.

 
I heard and my whole inner self trembled;
My lips quivered at the sound.
Decay and rottenness enter my bones,
And I tremble in my place.
Because I must wait quietly for the day of distress,
For the people to arise who will invade and attack us.
17 
Though the fig tree does not blossom
And there is no fruit on the vines,
Though the yield of the olive fails
And the fields produce no food,
Though the flock is cut off from the fold
And there are no cattle in the stalls,
18 
Yet I will [choose to] rejoice in the Lord;
I will [choose to] shout in exultation in the [victorious] God of my salvation!
19 
The Lord God is my strength [my source of courage, my invincible army];
He has made my feet [steady and sure] like hinds’ feet
And makes me walk [forward with spiritual confidence] on my [e]high places [of challenge and responsibility].  Habakkuk 3 (AMP)

Concluding Thoughts

How Sad.  We watch the world mostly forsake the One True God.  At moments we feel hopeless, helpless.  But we are not.  WE may feel as did Habakkuk.  Our spirits may tremble.  And our lips quiver.  However, even if everything around us falls apart.  Regardless of famine, sorrow, death, we can choose to rejoice in the Lord because He is the One True God and His promises are forever true.  For all who know Him as savior we can shout in exultation in the victorious God of our salvation.  He is our strength, our courage, and our invincible army. 

Just as God told King Jehoshaphat Years Before

Thus says the Lord to you: ‘Do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. … 17 You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, …

21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the Lord, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying:

“Praise the Lord,
For His mercy endures forever.”  2  Chronicles 20 (NET)

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

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God Absolutely Amazingly Responds to One’s True Prayer of Faith.  How?

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Photo licensed through Goodsalt.com

God Absolutely Amazingly Responds to One’s True Prayer of Faith.  How?

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. … The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5: 13,16 NKJV

        Where we left off last week, the Northern tribes of Israel were captured and taken away by the Assyrians.  It was their unfaithfulness that led to God’s allowing this.  Why?  That He might save His remnant.  Cleansing had to come before all were destroyed by the apostasy.   It was a very evil and frightening world in which Hezekiah came to be King of Judah. Could he make a difference?  How?  Afterall, the people worshipped many false gods.  They even worshipped the bronze serpent with new fervor as though it were God Himself instead of a mere symbol.  Still as the story of King Hezekiah unfolds, we see that God Absolutely Amazingly Responds to one man’s true prayer of faith.  What was it about King Hezekiah and his prayer that made a difference?  How can we learn to pray powerfully?  Can we make a difference in our nation today?

        King Hezekiah came to power as co-regent King of Judah in the year 729 BC, merely 6-7 years before the Northern tribes of Israel were taken over by the Assyrians. Samaria fell after 3 years of battle.  His father was an evil king disrespectful of God.  Following cultural norms, King Ahaz further encouraged pagan worship.  Yet, now came his son to change all that.  Cannot help but wonder with amazement how King Hezekiah came to know the one true God.  Perhaps a Godly mother, grandmother, or teacher.  Maybe he had listened in the corridors when Isaiah the prophet had spoken.  Yet, he was a good king. Before looking at his prayer of faith or revealing how God Absolutely Amazingly Responds to his prayer, let us look at some of King Hezekiah’s character traits. Perhaps we will find changes necessary in our heart to enrich our prayer chest.

He Chose To Do What Was Right

 he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.  4 He removed the [b]high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the [c]wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it [d]Nehushtan. (a bronze thing)2 Kings 18: 3-4

For that to be possible King Hezekiah must have known what the scriptures said.  He had to know the law to be able to do what was right.  And he had to be brave enough to go against the current trends and ideologies of the cultural day. 

Faith Over Fear is Needed for a true prayer of faith

5 He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him. 6 For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses. 7 The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8 He [e]subdued the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city.  2 Kings 18 (NKJV).

Remember this was in a time when Assyria’s army was overtaking the world and his army was small, somewhat like David against Goliath.  If God did not come to the rescue, all would perish.

 Acknowledged God’s Righteousness, the nation’s sin, and their need to be cleansed

3 In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. 4 Then he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them in the East Square, 5 and said to them: “Hear me, Levites! Now [b]sanctify yourselves, sanctify the house of the Lord God of your fathers, and carry out the rubbish from the holy place. 

6 For our fathers have trespassed and done evil in the eyes of the Lord our God; they have forsaken Him, have turned their faces away from the [c]dwelling place of the Lord, and turned their backs on Him. 7 They have also shut up the doors of the vestibule, put out the lamps, and have not burned incense or offered burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel. 

8 Therefore the wrath of the Lord fell upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He has given them up to trouble, to desolation, and to jeering, as you see with your eyes. 9 For indeed, because of this our fathers have fallen by the sword; and our sons, our daughters, and our wives are in captivity. 10 “Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us. 

31 Then Hezekiah answered and said, “Now that you have consecrated yourselves to the Lord, come near, and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the Lord.” So the assembly brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings2 Chronicles 29 (NKJV).

 Understood Grace by Re-establishing the Passover

And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and also wrote letters to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, to keep the Passover to the Lord God of Israel. …

6 Then the runners went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the king and his leaders, and spoke according to the command of the king: “Children of Israel, return to the Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel; then He will return to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. 7 And do not be like your fathers and your brethren, who trespassed against the Lord God of their fathers, so that He gave them up to desolation, as you see. 

8 Now do not be stiff-necked,[c] as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord; and enter His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you. 9 For if you return to the Lord, your brethren and your children will be treated with compassion by those who lead them captive, so that they may come back to this land; for the Lord your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn His face from you if you return to Him.”  2 Chronicles 30

Compassion for the Lost needs a true prayer of faith

Many arrived unprepared and unsanctified, not really understanding their guilt nor their need for cleansing.  For these the king prayed.

But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May the good Lord provide atonement for everyone 19 who prepares his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he is not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.” 20 And the Lord listened to Hezekiah and healed the people. 2 Chronicles 30

 Understood the importance of Worship

21 So the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness. And the Levites and the priests praised the LORD Day by day, singing to the Lord, accompanied by loud instruments.  2 Chronicles 30

Generosity

Not everyone came prepared with a proper sacrifice; therefore, King Hezekiah provided for them

24 For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the assembly a thousand bulls and seven thousand sheep.  2 Chronicles 30

 Humility is necessary for a true prayer of faith

After all this was done, the Assyrian King came and took many of the fortified cities and threatened Jerusalem.  In fact, he sent men to disseminate a false narrative. Saying that God sent them because King Hezekiah had torn down the “high places”.  Even in that day, there were those who take partial truths, twist them, and disseminate false news.  When King Hezekiah heard of this, he displayed great humility.

Isaiah 37:

when King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth and went into the house of the Lord. 2 Then he sent Eliakim, who was in charge of the [royal] household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz. 3 They said to him, “This is what Hezekiah says, ‘This day is a day of distress, rebuke and disgrace; for children have come to birth, and there is no strength to deliver them. 4 It may be that the Lord your God will hear the words of the Rabshakeh [the commander], whom his master the king of Assyria has sent to taunt and defy the living God, and will avenge the words which the Lord your God has heard. Therefore, offer a prayer for the remnant [of His people] that is left.’”

5 So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah. 6 Isaiah said to them, “You shall say the following to your master: ‘This is what the Lord says, “Do not be afraid because of the words that you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. 7 Listen carefully, I will put a spirit in him so that he will hear a rumor and return to his own land. And I will make him fall by the sword in his own land.” Isaiah 37 (AMP)

The Assyrian King’s Letter vs One Prayer of Faith

The King of Assyria sent forth his men with a letter mocking God and threatening King Hezekiah.

14 And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. 15 Then Hezekiah prayed before the Lord, and said: “O Lord God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16 Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. 

17 Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, 18 and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone.  Therefore they destroyed them. 19 Now therefore, O Lord our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord God, You alone.” 2 Kings 19.

God Absolutely Amazingly Responds to this prayer of faith

32 “Therefore thus says the Lord concerning the king of Assyria:

‘He shall not come into this city,
Nor shoot an arrow there,
Come before it with shield,
Nor build a siege mound against it.
33 By the way that he came,
By the same shall he return;
And he shall not come into this city,’
Says the Lord.
34 ‘For I will defend this city, to save it
For My own sake and for My servant David’s sake.’ ” 2 Kings 19

Then God did as He Declared

35 And it came to pass on a certain night that the [d]angel of the Lord went out, and killed in the camp of the Assyrians one hundred and eighty-five thousand; and when people arose early in the morning, there were the corpses—all dead. 36 So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went away, returned home, and remained at Nineveh. 37 Now it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the temple of Nisroch his god, that his sons Adrammelech and Sharezer struck him down with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat.  2 Kings 19

Not one shot had to be fired by the people of Jerusalem.

What Can we learn from King Hezekiah’s Prayer of faith?

  1.  Take the problem directly to the only one who can solve it.
  2.  Never forget His Sovereignty in handling the matter
  3.   It is not about me, it is about His Glory; therefore, I can accept His response knowing He has this. Regardless of what this is.
  4. King Hezekiah’s Prayer was a plea that all the nations on earth will know that God Is Lord God, Alone and only He is.  That should be our motivation as well. 

We know that one day every knee shall bow.  The question is do you know Him as Lord and trust Him today?

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

For Prayer or Comments

If you have a prayer request feel free to email me by clicking here

Furthermore, if you would like to share your story or thoughts, you can comment here

PREVIOUS

When God Says ENOUGH, what then? Are You Ready? Judgement will come!

DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Photo licensed through Goodsalt.com

When God Says ENOUGH, what then? Are You Ready? Judgement will come!

“Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you today, which you shall command your children to be careful to observe—all the words of this law. 47 For it is not a [l]futile thing for you, because it is your life  Deuteronomy 32:56

Such were the words of Moses just before his death and their entrance into the promised land.  He had taught them a song to remember.  In that song, he reminded them of all that God had done for them.  Additionally, he reminded them of their rebellious hearts which taunted against God’s grace and love for them.  He reminded them of how often God had reached out his hand in grace; but, one day when God Says Enough, Judgement will come.  Why would they or we be so foolish as to presume upon His grace so much that we cast all His Goodness and Righteousness aside for our own stubborn will?  How can we believe that our will, desires, and way are better than the perfect will of He who created everything?

Yet, that is exactly what we do!  That was also what the children of Israel did.  This brings us to the final chapter concerning the Northern tribes of Israel in 2 Kings 17. As we read these words, look closely around us.  Evil is spinning out of control.  How we would feel lost, if we did not know that this is also controlled by God. 

Deuteronomy 32:

1“Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak,
    and let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
2 May my teaching drop as the rain,
    my speech distill as the dew,
like gentle rain upon the tender grass,
    and like showers upon the herb.
3 For I will proclaim the name of the Lord;
    ascribe greatness to our God!

4 “The Rock, his work is perfect,
    for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
    just and upright is he.

All that is good.  Everything that is righteousness.  All the powers of love are Him; yet, that means He must be just.  Can you say you love your child and let them destroy their life in disobedience?  This is something, I face every day with my grandchildren.  Love must bring discipline.  Justice demands that sinners deserve the full penalty of death.  How evil could my own heart be if it were not for God constraining it?  And for all those who do not know Him, who would they be apart from His restraining grace?

Jonathan Edwards wrote in his sermon: “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.”

There are in the souls of wicked men those hellish principles reigning, that would presently kindle and flame out into hell fire, if it were not for God’s restraints. There is laid in the very nature of carnal men, a foundation for the torments of hell. There are those corrupt principles, in reigning power in them, and in full possession of them, that are seeds of hell fire. These principles are active and powerful, exceeding violent in their nature, and if it were not for the restraining hand of God upon them, they would soon break out, they would flame out after the same manner as the same corruptions, the same enmity does in the hearts of damned souls, and would beget the same torments as they do in them. The souls of the wicked are in scripture compared to the troubled sea, Isa. lvii. 20. For the present, God restrains their wickedness by his mighty power, as he does the raging waves of the troubled sea, saying, “Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further;” but if God should withdraw that restraining power, it would soon carry all before it. Sin is the ruin and misery of the soul; it is destructive in its nature; and if God should leave it without restraint, there would need nothing else to make the soul perfectly miserable. The corruption of the heart of man is immoderate and boundless in its fury; and while wicked men live here, it is like fire pent up by God’s restraints, whereas if it were let loose, it would set on fire the course of nature; and as the heart is now a sink of sin, so if sin was not restrained, it would immediately turn the soul into a fiery oven, or a furnace of fire and brimstone.

When God Says Enough, Judgement will come

35 Vengeance is Mine, and recompense;
Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things to come hasten upon them.’

39 ‘Now see that I, even I, am He,
And there is no God besides Me;
I kill and I make alive;
I wound and I heal;
Nor is there any who can deliver from My hand.

When God says Enough, Judgement will come.  It is in His hands.  The increasing evil, He has allowed, although still He restrains.  It is a slippery slope that humanity stands upon.  One day their feet shall slip.  We see the ever-increasing psychopathic overlords trying to control everything around us.  There are pandemics released and a potential greater one being developed in the same labs.  Famine is increasing due to proxy wars.  The progressive elites demand we bow before their demands for reducing the carbon footprints, while they fly their jets around the world.  Yet, their demands are forcing farmlands to be destroyed and inflation to rage throughout the world.  There is drought throughout Europe only adding to the crisis.  Needed energy is restricted while we fight proxy wars for corrupt oligarchs, while humanity suffers. 

Our own nation so filled with corruption, we cannot help but feel despair and sorrow.  We cannot help but hear God saying,

28 “For they are a nation void of counsel,
Nor is there any understanding in them.
29 Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this,
That they would consider their latter end!  Deuteronomy 32:

When God Says Enough

 Now the king of Assyria went throughout all the land and went up to Samaria and besieged it for three years. 6 In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria…

Reason #1 Idolatry

7 For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had feared other gods, 8 and had walked in the statutes of the nations whom the Lord had cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.

9 Also the children of Israel secretly did against the Lord their God things that were not right, and they built for themselves [a]high places in all their cities, from watchtower to fortified city. 10 They set up for themselves sacred pillars and wooden images[b] on every high hill and under every green tree. 11 There they burned incense on all the high places, like the nations whom the Lord had carried away before them; and they did wicked things to provoke the Lord to anger, 12 for they served idols, of which the Lord had said to them, “You shall not do this thing.” 2 Kings (NKJV)

GUILY AS CHARGED–#2—They Stopped Believing God IS God

13 Yet the Lord testified against Israel and against Judah, by all of His prophets, every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets.” 14 Nevertheless they would not hear, but stiffened their necks, like the necks of their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God. 15 And they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He had made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He had testified against them; they followed idols, became idolaters, and went after the nations who were all around them, concerning whom the Lord had charged them that they should not do like them. 2 Kings NKJV

#3—They Ignored God’s Commands

16 So they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, made for themselves a molded image and two calves, made a wooden image and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. 17 And they caused their sons and daughters to pass through the fire, practiced witchcraft and soothsaying, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke Him to anger. 18 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel, and removed them from His sight; there was none left but the tribe of Judah alone.

And What About Us? When God Says Enough

It was several years later, but Judah did not listen despite watching all that happened.  Oh, they had a few revivals.  But nothing lasted.  Such has been the story throughout the ages.  God has been patient, long suffering with such hard necked people; but there will come a day when God Says Enough and the remainder of prophecy will be fulfilled. 

God spoke of Israel and does of Our Nation today:

You grew fat, you grew thick, (with prosperity and pride)
You are obese! (with self-righteousness)
Then he forsook God who made him,
And scornfully esteemed the Rock of his salvation……

And He (GOD) said: ‘I will hide My face from them,
I will see what their end will be,
For they are a perverse generation,
Children in whom is no faith.
21 They have provoked Me to jealousy by what is not God;
They have moved Me to anger by their [f]foolish idols.
But I will provoke them to jealousy by those who are not a nation;
I will move them to anger by a foolish nation.
22 For a fire is kindled in My anger,
And shall burn to the [g]lowest [h]hell;
It shall consume the earth with her increase,
And set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

23 ‘I will heap disasters on them;
I will spend My arrows on them.
24 They shall be wasted with hunger,
Devoured by pestilence and bitter destruction;
I will also send against them the teeth of beasts,
With the poison of serpents of the dust.
25 The sword shall destroy outside;
There shall be terror within
For the young man and virgin,
The nursing child with the man of gray hairs. Deuteronomy 32 NKJV

Judgement will come.  Are You Ready?

Paul sent a letter to the church in Thessalonica.  They were being severely persecuted by the world around them yet stood strong in their faith.  To all who believe, I challenge and encourage you with these same words.

3 We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, 4 so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and [a]tribulations that you endure, 5 which is manifest[b] evidence of the righteous judgment of God,

that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; 6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with [c]tribulation those who trouble you, 7 and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who [d]believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

DO YOU KNOW CHRIST AS YOUR SAVIOR AND LORD? He is our only Hope in Life and Death! Our Joy is found in Him.

Therefore if you don’t know Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord: I urge you today. Go to my page titled How to Be Saved by clicking on this link. There is nothing more important than this; because He is the way, the truth and the life. Therefore, I urge you to seek Him today.

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DISCLOSURES

©Effie Darlene Barba, 2021
Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. Furthermore, I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I have mentioned except for my own books. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Credits

New King James Version (NKJV)

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)

NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

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