Tag Archives: warned

Once More

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ONCE MORE

See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from Him who warns us from heaven? At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ The words, “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken – that is, created things – so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably, for “our God is a consuming fire.” (Heb. 12: 25-29).

Serious stuff! When God shook the earth at Mount Sinai, the people trembled with fear and begged Moses to speak for God because they could not bear to hear His voice. They were so afraid of the manifestation of God’s presence that they were not prepared to hear what He had to say and much less to obey.

What is the warning God issued then and continues to issue today? What does the Lord require of us that is so important that we will perish if we turn away? It’s the simple matter of obedience. God prizes the obedient response of His people above everything else.

Abraham was called the “friend of God”. Why?

Then the Lord said, ‘Shall I hide from Abraham what I am about to do? Abraham will surely become a great and powerful nation, and all nations on earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what He has promised.’ (Gen. 18: 17-19).

Likewise David, who was the only person in the Bible whom God called “a man after my own heart,” received that honour for one reason:

After removing Saul, He made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’ (Acts 13: 22).

Why did God remove Saul? The prophet Samuel had the unpleasant task of conveying God’s displeasure to King Saul because he failed to obey on two occasions. Saul disqualified himself from being king because of his disobedience.

“Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord? . . . Does the Lord delight is burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” (1 Sam. 15:19; 22).

Obedience is the hallmark of a true son. Jesus was the epitome of a son, submissive and obedient to the Father, even to the point of laying down His life because it was the Father’s will. He was the mirror image of the Father because He said what the Father said and did what the Father did.

God’s presence shook the earth when He descended on Mount Sinai to given His people His instructions for living life His way. In spite of His intervention, destroying the gods of Egypt and setting them free from their slave-drivers, they failed to obey time and again. He shook them out of their land into Assyria and Babylon, lands of slavery all over again. That was bad enough because of their disobedience.

A time is coming, says the writer, when another shaking will happen, but this time it will not be just one mountain but the heavens and the earth. Everything will be shaken like flour being passed through a sieve. Only that which has eternal value will remain. What about all the earthly things which we work for and treasure above the eternal kingdom which cannot be shaken?

God shook the earth with a global flood which destroyed everything by one family. He shook the mountain to reveal His power and majesty, and that His word is not to be ignored. He will finally shake everything and everyone and only that which is unshakeable will remain.

God often shakes our lives by allowing us to experience things over which we have no control. This is not judgment but mercy because He wants us to deal with the things that take our attention from Him before the final shaking after which there will be no time to put things right. There is only one way to show that we take Him seriously – by doing what He says. He has instructed us to walk in His ways where there is safety and protection. Every other way leads to death.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my new book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (copyright 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

Available on www.amazon.com or www.kalahari.com in paperback, e-book or kindle format, or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.

Check out my blogsite at www.learningtobeason.wordpress.com

 

Temporary Dwellings

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TEMPORARY DWELLINGS

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith.

By faith, Abraham when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the Promised Land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to a city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God. (Heb. 11: 7-10).

Two more great heroes of faith! What did they do? Different things, obviously. There is no formula to faith and obedience.

Noah was instructed to build a boat. What? A boat in the middle of nowhere! Why? Because it’s going to rain, Noah! Rain? What is rain, God? Never mind. Just build the ark and you’ll find out soon enough.

So Noah and his three boys got busy and began to build the boat. They had no power tools. It was a long and tedious task. They had to cut and fashion each piece and put them together as instructed, to the exact design and dimensions given them by God. How did God give them the details? Did He put pictures in Noah’s mind? Did He write down the description and measurements on tablets of clay just like He wrote the Ten Commandments on stone? We have no idea how He did it.

How long did it take Noah and company to build the ark? The Bible gives no answer – long enough for people to repent, but they didn’t.

The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

Noah was described as a “preacher of righteousness.” He did not keep quiet while he worked. He obviously told the curious onlookers what he was doing. They scoffed at him until the rain fell, but it was too late. The ark was sealed, shut by God and they perished in the flood. Who was right and who was wrong? The ark became his home for a whole year – unstable in the wind and waves, but safe because God was there, protecting them because Noah believed God.

Abraham, another of God’s heroes! His circumstances were different from Noah’s. He didn’t need an ark. He needed a tent. God told him to get out of town. Ur was a place of idolatry – the aftermath of Nimrod’s rebellion and the false religion he set up at Babel. If he stayed there he would perish in his idolatry and unbelief. Where, God? Never mind, Abraham. No directions; no explanations; just go!

So Abraham packed up and went. Which way, God? Just keep going, Abraham. So Abraham followed the river. He needed water for his household and livestock. Miles and miles of desert, wind and sand, living in tents. Day after day he had to pack up and move on, uproot his home, fasten everything securely on camels, only to do it all over again tomorrow. How much time did it take to do all that? How much travelling time did he have each day? But had kept going.

How much further, God? Just keep moving, Abraham. I’ll tell you when you have arrived. What faith to keep going! What patience to persevere! Why did he do it? Why didn’t he turn around and go home after the first few weeks? Because he believed God! Imperfect, faltering faith, but somewhere up ahead he knew that God had a permanent place for him. How did he know? Because God said so.

And God was pleased with Noah and Abraham, because they believed Him. Imagine that! They were counted as righteous before God because they believed what He said and did what He told them to do. There was no Jesus to save them, yet, but they were accounted righteous anyway, acceptable before God because they trusted Him.

Isn’t that what God requires of us? To trust Him with our eternal destiny because His word tells us that Jesus died in our place? To trust Him with our day to day lives because He is with us and will never leave or forsake us? To trust Him when He tells us what to do because He is in charge? He isn’t looking for great exploits. He’s looking for simple trust that issues in prompt ad implicit obedience – that’s all!

We are also in our temporary dwelling, but God has a permanent place for us, in His eternal home – if we believe and obey.

Scripture taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Have you read my new book, Learning to be a Son – The Way to the Father’s Heart (copyright 2015, Partridge Publishing)? You’ll love it!

Available on www.amazon.com in paperback, e-book or kindle version or order directly from the publisher at www.partridgepublishing.com.