Hope Secured

Thursday, November 16, 2023

Then I heard a mighty voice from the Temple say to the seven angels, “Go your ways and pour out on the earth the seven bowls containing God’s wrath.”  So the first angel left the Temple and poured out his bowl on the earth, and horrible, malignant sores broke out on everyone who had the mark of the beast and who worshiped his statue.  Then the second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it became like the blood of a corpse.  And everything in the sea died.  Then the third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs, and they became blood.  And I heard the angel who had authority over all water saying, “You are just, O Holy One, who is and who always was, because you have sent these judgments.  Since they shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets, you have given them blood to drink.  It is their just reward.”  And I heard a voice from the altar, saying, “Yes, O Lord God, the Almighty, your judgments are true and just.”  Revelation 16:1-7

The last several days we’ve looked at our hope in Jesus Christ.  Hope, as a noun or verb, is an expectation; we either expect something will happen, or want it to happen.  This is the perspective of our last three devotions, hope anew, hope renewed, and hope shared.  These are matters of faith, as we place our faith in Christ, have it renewed through this life of trials and fears, and as we share faith’s hope with others. 

In today’s passage, we step from faith in this life, to fulfillment of our hope, the consummation of God’s promises, as He pours judgment on evil in the truest and most just of recompense.  Angels, in perfect obedience to the Father, pour out the stored reprisal of every evil thought, or brutal deed.  Those who have rejected Christ and God’s offer of forgiveness meet the horror of God’s wrath.

Those who mock God in this life caricaturize any mention of Judgment Day, or sin, or any allusion to God’s authority as “fairy tales” or a naïvely ignorant, preacher’s manipulation.  But in that day, when the hope of the faithful shall become sight, all will see His glory.  Those who refuse to bend a knee now will have no choice but to kneel then!  Apostle Paul wrote:

…for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.  So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.  Romans 14:10b-12^(KJV)

In that day there will be no excuses, for even those who, in their unbelief, mock and profane the name of God will see Christ and His Father, who by the Holy Spirit unveils the glory of Heaven…and they will fall to their knees and confess that He alone is God.  Those who have chosen in this life to deny Jesus, the hope of God’s glory, will in that day have their choice granted…eternally…in the lake of fire.  That is a sad, but solemn part of our hope in Jesus Christ; he will right every wrong against God, and reward every sacrificial service or suffering in the name of Jesus.  God will not do this lightly or with any degree of spite or enjoyment.  But the ultimate character of God is to be holy, and entirely righteous.  And in that holy righteousness, God will judge sin.  Those who have trusted in Christ will be gathered like a hen gathers her chicks, or a mother bear protects her cubs.  Those who have trusted in themselves, refusing Christ’s offer of forgiveness and eternal life, will experience an eternal death without God.

For You Today 

A preacher friend of mine once summed-up God’s offer to be saved from our sinful wickedness.  He said:  The wages of sin is death[1] and those wages must be paid.  We can let Jesus’ death on the cross pay for our sin now, or we can pay for them later when we stand before God at the judgment seat!  My friend was telling it like it is.  Trust God, place your faith in the secure hope of Christ!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!

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There are about 2,600 devotional posts and 400 sermons in the Rocky Road library.

Today’s title Image from Pixabay.com  

Images without citation are in public domain or cited via weblinks.  

Unless noted, Scripture quoted from NLT^©  

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[1] Romans 6:23

Falling Into the Hands of the Living God

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Monday, November 19, 2018

Dear friends, if we deliberately continue sinning after we have received knowledge of the truth, there is no longer any sacrifice that will cover these sins.  There is only the terrible expectation of God’s judgment and the raging fire that will consume his enemies.  For anyone who refused to obey the law of Moses was put to death without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses.  Just think how much worse the punishment will be for those who have trampled on the Son of God, and have treated the blood of the covenant, which made us holy, as if it were common and unholy, and have insulted and disdained the Holy Spirit who brings God’s mercy to us.  For we know the one who said, “I will take revenge.  I will pay them back.”  He also said, “The Lord will judge his own people.”  It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.  Hebrews 10:26-31(NLT)

Most pastors I know have favorite passages of Scripture they love to preach.  We love to preach about how God loves the entire world, how everyone is welcome at the table.  We love to preach about Heaven and reunion with loved ones. 

And then there’s this passage … sinning past forgiveness … raging fire of judgment … trampling on the Son of God … falling into the vengeful hands of Almighty God.  It’s a message no pastor wants to preach, and which no congregation wants to hear.  But there it is, nonetheless!  And if a preacher would hide this message, stuff it away in some bin of stuff to be dealt with later, that so-called minister is as bad as a parent who wouldn’t snatch his child off the railroad tracks, or out of traffic.

This past Thursday’s local news[2] told of a Greensboro man who was supposed to be watching his three-year-old son while his wife was at work.  He fell asleep and the boy wandered out in the cold.  The father was arrested and charged with child abuse.

If a man who treats the physical life and emotional well-being of a child, his own child, as recklessly as that is despicable, what is a pastor who doesn’t tell people the truth about eternity … about the danger of wandering with their souls in darkness?

The writer of Hebrews was never in danger of being contacted by Hallmark to use his story for one of their feel-good movies, but this is a message the world can hardly afford to miss; it takes the feel-good passage of John 3:16 where God so-loves all of us, that he gave his only son to die in our place … and follows up with this message that, since you’ve accepted that truth, been forgiven, and welcomed into God’s family, you’d better follow-up and live like it – or there will be dire consequences.

Now, that may sound like a wide-eyed, furious threat, but it is simply a well-reasoned, loving caution, a warning from common sense that says when you bear the family name it is expected that you will behave like you are really a member of the family!

Friends, there is no other way to put this; God’s forgiveness is durable, and when He forgives you, it is forever!  But that does not mean you cannot willingly turn your back on that forgiveness, trample on God’s gift of salvation, and offend God.  Frankly, no human being owns that kind of Get-Out-of-Jail-Free Card! 

The reason why I get up early every day to write this devotion is to remind any of us who want to be helped, that, while we can never repay God for the free gift of salvation, we do have a responsibility to live in gratitude for such a magnificent gift.

Nobody really wanted our dogs, Wellie and Gracie.  We adopted them into our home, and they get free room and board.  They are bathed, fed, protected, played-with, and cost millions of dollars at the vet each year.  Neither of them writes us thank-you notes or worships the ground we walk on.  But every day we see expressions of happiness, love and joy as we live together.  They engage with the Brownworth household, and act like they’re family.                        

Sometimes I think my dogs know how to respond to love much better than I do.

For You Today

So … the reminder every pastor dreads having to give:  if you’re a believer, don’t grieve the Spirit, or trample on the blood of Christ; He is a living God whose anger is fierce and final!

Rather, go close, stay in love with the Lord and His people.  That is the way to fall into the hands of a loving God!

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day.

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[1] Title Image: Courtesy of Pixabay.com

[2] WXII 12 News:  Father of son found wandering alone near Greensboro apartment complex charged with child abuse

The God of Equal Opportunity

[1]

Monday, February 29, 2016

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Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you?  Does this mean nothing to you?  Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?  But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself.  For a day of anger is coming, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.  He will judge everyone according to what they have done.  He will give eternal life to those who keep on doing good, seeking after the glory and honor and immortality that God offers.  But he will pour out his anger and wrath on those who live for themselves, who refuse to obey the truth and instead live lives of wickedness.  There will be trouble and calamity for everyone who keeps on doing what is evil—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.  But there will be glory and honor and peace from God for all who do good—for the Jew first and also for the Gentile.  For God does not show favoritism.   Romans 2:4-11^(NLT)

What do God and a mother cat who takes in an orphaned raccoon have in common?  The momma cat in our picture lives with her babies – her kitten and the ring-tailed raccoon child.  The raccoon baby was found in the bushes on Paris Island, SC by a Marine Drill Sergeant while his platoon was on maneuvers.  He is now the official platoon mascot!  And, according to the report, Momma cat shows no favoritism when it comes to meal time.

It’s not a hard leap from there to talk about the impartiality and equal opportunity of Jehovah, the God of equality in both kindness and judgment – everyone’s His target!

Paul begins with God’s wonderful kindness, patience, and tolerance; but the apostle does not leave out God’s righteous judgment for those, who, in their stubborn rebelliousness leave God little choice.

This is the equal opportunity of God – His first choice is to bless us as we come close to Him and walk with Him as friend with friend, learning to obey His commands and learn to live into the purpose for which we were created.

Our problem (and it IS OUR PROBLEM) is that we know this and still want to break away.  Most of our praying is for forgiveness of first-degree sin – that which we knew was wrong, but did it anyway; our selfish will was bigger than our Godly obedience.  We wait to pray afterward, because we know we’d never have gotten permission beforehand!

King David understood this:

“Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.  Remind me that my days are numbered—how fleeting my life is.  You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.  My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.”  We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.  We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.  And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?  My only hope is in you.  Rescue me from my rebellion.  Do not let fools mock me.  I am silent before you; I won’t say a word, for my punishment is from you.    

Psalm 39:4-9^(NLT)

A Roman centurion came to Jesus because his child was gravely ill; Jesus asked him a question – do you believe?  The soldier’s answer was:  I believe; please help me get over my unbelief.

For You Today

The question from God about the blessing or judgment we receive, to which there can be no suggestion of God’s favoritism or uneven access, is two-fold simple:

Do we obey; and in our predisposition to disobey, will we ask permission first?

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road today…and have a blessed day!

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[1] Title Image:  By USMC Archives from Quantico, USA, via Wikimedia Commons