Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Promise and Warning

Here we see something often found in the Word of God, which is a promise and a warning tied together and presented to mankind:

2 Peter 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment; 5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; 6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; 7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: 8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished: 10 But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government.

What's being said here? The same thing said in John 15, that is, a 'decision' you made 5,10,15 years ago won't save you if you are living in faithlessness, disobedience and sin today.

The promise? The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations

The warning? to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished

As with many things in the Word of the Most High God, there are layers of meaning. Of course we take the face value for what it is. When we dig a little bit to see what other treasures are hidden here, what else do we find?

Above we see which words?....Noah....Lot....to deliver the godly out of temptations..

Rev 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

Luke 17:26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; 29 But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. 30 Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed

We see a recurring theme..Noah..Lot...same day they left..destruction..Son of man revealed...keep us from temptation...being kept from the hour of temptation...lead us not into temptation...

Matthew 6:13 'And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us
... And never bring us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'

Mark 14:38 "Keep watching and praying that you may not come into
... "Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit iswilling, but the flesh is weak ... Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.

Luke 22:40 When He arrived at the place, He said to them,
... When He arrived at the place, He said to them, "Pray that you may not enter into temptation

Luke 8:13 "Those on the rocky soil are those who, when they
... rocky soil are those who, when they hear, receive the word with joy; and these haveno firm root; they believe for a while, and in time of temptation fall away

Time appears to be very short indeed. I don't know if you have perceived it, but there is an invisible horde at the starting gate, waiting to break out onto the stage of this world. People can sense spiritually that something's not right, something big is afoot, but many can't quite put their finger on what's happening. What we are seeing and feeling today is the close proximity of the servants of satan, the satanic hordes who are ready and waiting to flood this wolrd but are being restrained... Remember the days of Noah..

1 Peter 3:20 Who once were disobedient, when the patience of God ...
... who disobeyed long ago in the days of Noah, when God waited patiently while the ark was being built. In it a few, that is, eight persons, were saved by water.

Many many people sense something is afoot, something big is about to happen. Their spirit's sense the impending flood, the brimstone about to fall and they see that day by day, life goes on seemingly 'normal.' What they don't understand and do not perceive is our God's patience. It is he that is restraining what's about to happen. The same day that Noah entered the ark, the rain started. The same day Lot left Sodom, the brimstone fell, it will be the same..exactly the same the day the Son of man is revealed.

I cannot impress upon you enough what this means: the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations...how does he deliver the godly out of 'temptations' when he points us directly to Noah and Lot? PHYSICAL REMOVAL. There's no question, no debate, no way to weasel out of it, both Noah and Lot were physically removed from the flood and fire. We could go round and round arguing over where we will be physically removed to, but why bother, what does it matter? Noah was physically moved into the ark ( a place of safety) and Lot was physically moved into a safe city (zoar) and we will be physically moved into a place of safety. When will this happen. When did it happen for Noah and Lot? Before the flood, and before the brimstone.

There is a 7 year period before us known as the time of Jacob's trouble. 70 years were appointed to the people that Daniel belonged to...that is..the jews. The last week of that 70 is just ahead. What calls itself the christian church today is a mess. When we read Rev 2-3 where Jesus is specifically (not in veiled references) speaking to the churches, he point to one church, the church of philadelphia telling them he knows they are weak, but they have held onto his word and they will be kept from the hour of temptation coming on the entire world. How will they be kept? They will be physically removed as we have seen from the Lord's references to Noah and Lot.

Today we have both a promise and a warning before us. There is an escape promised to those found worthy of it (Luke 21:36). There is also a warning to those who continue to practice lawlessness. One way or another, we are about to find out soon what the Lord meant by "escape all." If there are "disappearances"in the near future, this world will use its lame stream media propaganda arm to call those dissapearances everything but the rapture/escape.

I think there will be many people who will be shocked at how many are left behind. I say that with a sense of real sorrow, and I hope and pray that I'm wrong. I would not wish what is coming on the worst of men. What's about to take place will appear like something out of science fiction books, and ancient mythology all combined into a hellish cauldron and poured out on the earth. Instead of choosing peace and quietness, righteousness and justice, every man has gone his own way just like in the days of Noah. The earth was filled with violence and corruption then, and it is again today. Today is a pre-flood day, the restrainer still restrains what's waiting to get at this world. Lot has not yet walked out of Sodom, but "that day" is coming. It may be today. When this happens, its going to be a whirlwind of events that will cause men's hearts to fail them for fear of what has come on the earth. The devil and his evil princes will walk the earth once again as "gods" interacting with men openly. Our God never wanted this, but men have chosen it with their own freewill.

Seek the Lord's face today while his grace is still extended. Seek him before the rain begins to fall, and the brimstone begins its decent on this world. Be assured...it is coming...

Grace and peace