Thursday, April 9, 2015

How Will God Get YOUR Attention?



When you were a child growing up and your parent called, the first time they called you, we mostly ignored it. Even after the second time, we might stir but we didn't move, until they generally called you by your first, middle and last names. We knew we have to stop and drop whatever we were doing and run, not walk to our parents. Hoping when we arrived, out of breath, they might grant us leniency when we stood at their feet, but often times, what we heard was, "Didn't you hear me calling you?"

What did we say? Most of the time, it was something to try to justify why we didn't respond the first or second time, even though we knew to tell the truth might unless holy terror on us by our parents. Can you imagine the outcome if you were truthful?

"I heard you but I didn't want to come. I was hoping you might just give up calling for me, and I could continue doing what I wanted."

Yeah, not sure how successful that would be. I'm thinking punishment would immediately ensue repeatedly to our backside at that point.

When you look around at the current state of things happening in America, or even the world. What gets your attention?

Is it human trafficking? Is it murders happening to those who don't deserve it? Is it the state of our economy or the status of our financial futures on Wall Street?

Is it the state of our health care crisis or finding a cure for cancer?

What makes you stop EVERYTHING you are currently doing, like your parents using your FULL NAME, like we all did on September 11, 2001?

Is that what it takes for you to stop, to listen, to see, to understand, what is happening?

It's not like it wasn't something that happened on the spur of the moment. It took a long time planning for everything to click like it did. But we ignored the signs. We refused to see what was happening right in front of us. We didn't like what was on the news, and  how easy it is for us to turn it off, when we don't like the message.

Are you getting convicted yet? Is there a stirring in your soul?

Why is it that we don't see what is happening all around us again? Why don't we hear the cries of people all around us asking for help? Why with logical educated brains, don't we understand what is happening?

""Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving. Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn and be healed." ~ Isaiah 6"9b-10 NIV.

The Bible speaks of a time when God called Isaiah to go forth and warn the people of Israel, who had grown apathetic, complacent, and without any regard for God any longer because His truths were getting in the way of what they wanted to do.

Does this sound like any place or anyone you know?

It reminds me of a line from A Few Good Men, spoken by Jack Nicholson's character, "You can't handle the truth!!!"

The reason people don't want to listen to what God has to say any more, the reason they want prayer out of the schools, the 10 Commandments removed from the government offices, crosses and nativity scenes removed from any public place, even any reference to Jesus Christ, from Christmas to Easter, is all about removing and stripping away the very truth, the absolute truth because it judges what we are doing and calls it WRONG.

I've even read through social media that the New York Times who claims the way to fix what is wrong in America and the world is to rewrite the Bible. Calling it outdated and in need of updating to apply to the world we are living in today. Really? Even Kanae West is rewriting the Bible to take out all references to God and replacing it with Kanae's name? God has a warning on that before you even think about it, Revelation 22:18 -19, "I warn everyone who hears the words of prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes away words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book."

"Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight. Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine and champions at mixing drinks, who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent. Therefore, as tongues of fire lick up straw and as dry grass sinks down in the flames, so their roots will decay and their flowers blow away like dust; for they have rejected the law of the LORD Almighty and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel." ~ Isaiah 5: 20-24 NIV. 

God is calling out right now for his church to respond, people of faith without labels, not our leaders, the government or presidents. God is calling for us to wake up before it's too late. Before another 9/11 happens on a greater scale to this blessed country of ours. The church, that is YOU if you believe in God, needs to repent. We need to stop letting things happen that we know are wrong in God's eyes. We need to ask for His forgiveness and turn our hearts back to Him.

What will happen if we do?

The Bible tells us in 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, you are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

What will happen if we don't?

"Therefore, the LORD's anger burns against his people; his hand is raised and he strikes them down. The mountains shake, and the dead bodies are like refuse in the streets. Yet for all of this, his anger is not turned away, his hand is still upraised. He lifts up a banner for the distant nations, he whistles for those at the ends of the earth. Here they come, swiftly and speedily! Not one of them grows tired or stumbles, not one slumbers or sleeps; not a belt is loosened at the waist, not a sandal thong is broken. Their arrows are sharp, all their bows are strung; their horses hoofs seem like flint, their chariot wheels like a whirlwind. Their roar is like that of a lion, they roar like young lions; they growl as they seize their prey and carry it off with no one to rescue. In that day they will roar over it like the roaring of the sea. And if one looks at the land, he will see darkness and distress; even the light will be darkened by the clouds." ~ Isaiah 5: 25-30. 

God is merciful and his patience is truly amazing, but God will not withhold His judgment for a nation that willfully shakes their fist at him, saying, "We don't need YOU God!!!"

If God loves us, He'll let what happened to Israel, happen to America. The future of America is in God's House.

May we all come before God as a united body of believers and when God asks, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?

Let us all say, "Here I am, Lord, send me!!

May we get caught being about our fathers business when Jesus returns for His church. We don't want to be here when He unleashes His punishment on those who reject Him.

1 comment:

LV said...

You are one of the best when it comes to telling it like it is. You are absolutely right.