Have you ever had something beautiful that you treasured but it got broken or marred? How did you feel about having to trash it?
I have had special items ruined in one way and another and I have felt sad that what I treasured was no longer any good and needed to be thrown away.
When GOD made the heavens and the earth after each creation of making the moon and sun and stars. The earth, the grass and the trees and the animals HE delighted in them and saw that it was good! But after making mankind, male and female, GOD said it was very good (Genesis 1:12, 18, 21, 31).
1st the sin was in the garden of Eden when man decided to reject what GOD said and do as he deemed best. Soon after we hear of envy and murder and sin escalated until we find a few chapters later that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and every imagination of the thoughts of hearts was evil continually and GOD was grieved and knew HE must stop it. The only way was to eradicate sin and since men refused to repent and turn to GOD than meant they must die (Genesis 6:5-6). Hence the universal flood.
The problem is that Noah and his family, saved in the ark, began to sin also. So, the whole thing started up again. GOD in HIS fantastic foreknowledge knew all this would happen and devised a plan whereas it is written that JESUS was slain before the world was made (Revelation 13:8) in order to pay for all sins,
For you see man had to change before sin could be eliminated. 1st sin had to be paid for so GOD the FATHER sent HIS SON into the world and the blood of JESUS did that when HE died on the cross. Whoever will can come to JESUS and receive that cleansing from HIS sin.
(Romans 5:9) Much more then, being now justified (just as if I’d never sinned) by HIS blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
But it doesn’t stop there, for when a person believes GOD the FATHER sends GOD the HOLY SPIRIT to live in the believer. The HOLY SPIRIT is our teacher and little by little HE is placing GOD’s desires in our minds, so we think GOD’s thoughts, and in our heart, so we want what GOD wants (Philippians 2:13, Hebrews 10:16).
But many choose to refuse GOD’s free gift of forgiveness and eternal life because they want to do things their way (John 3:18-20). The wages of sin is death and since they refused GOD’s gift of forgiveness and eternal life through the LORD JESUS CHRIST they must die. As it is written “It is appointed once for men to die and after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
If sin and those who refuse to love the truth are not condemned to be excluded from GOD’s Presence and the wonderful things HE has prepared for those who love HIM (1 Corinthians 2:9, Revelation 21:8, 27), the terrible mess of sin would begin all over again.
But in Nahum 1:9 GOD has promised that that will not happen. “What do ye imagine against the Lord? HE will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time” (Nahum 1:9).
Actually, when you think about it, GOD is showing the rejectors respect. HE is respecting their choice of refuse JESUS and the gift of eternal life.
The terrible things that happened last Saturday when the Hamas crossed over into Israel and attacked and slaughtered men, women, teens, children and even babies in such horrible ways show they too must be stopped. If they are not, no one will be safe.
These past few days I have experience times of deep grieving rising up from within and believe it is the HOLY SPIRIT grieving of the horrors that have and are happening in and concerning Israel and their enemies.
Israel released thousands of notices over Gaza telling the people to leave northern Gaza and go to southern Gaza for their own protection because the Israelis intended to exterminate the Hamas but didn’t want to harm innocent civilians. When I heard that I thought of an incident that happened in the wilderness journey of Israel going to the Promise land of Canaan.
One of the leaders gathered others together in an uprising to take over the rule from Moses who at GOD’s command had lead over a million Jews out of Egypt. GOD needed to show this was not to happen and stop such uprisings. Therefore, HE had Moses tell the people to separate themselves from the ones causing the problems, warning them that unless they got away from that leader they too would suffer as the leader did.
Like some from Gaza paid attention and fled to southern Gaze, so many Jews left the one starting the uprising and GOD cause the earth to open up and swallow that rebel, those with him and all their belongings for there are consequences for sin (read all about it in Numbers 16).
Pray for Israel in their need and for all concerned. Many of our USA troops are there. Pray also that in HIS great Mercy GOD would use this horrible time to cause men to seek the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY and come to HIM through the LORD JESUS CHRIST (Acts 17:26-27, Hebrews 7:25) that they might be saved from the wrath to come.
Pray for Israel!
Hugs
Sharon
wakemyear 