Psalm 24:1 "The earth is the LORD’S, and all it contains,
The world, and those who dwell in it."
NO ONE and NOTHING belongs to the devil! We are ALL in God's hands - sinners and saints, alike. No one can escape this fact.
Hebrews 10:31 tells us that it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Living God. And, once we are in a fall there is nothing that can stop it until it reaches its conclusion.
Hebrews 12:29 tells us "...for our God is a consuming fire."
Who can withstand the Fire?
Isaiah 33:14-24 "Sinners in Zion are terrified;
Trembling has seized the godless.
“Who among us can live with the consuming fire?
Who among us can live with continual burning?”
15He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity,
He who rejects unjust gain
And shakes his hands so that they hold no bribe;
He who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed
And shuts his eyes from looking upon evil;
16He will dwell on the heights,
His refuge will be the impregnable rock;
His bread will be given him,
His water will be sure.
17Your eyes will see the King in His beauty;
They will behold a far-distant land.
18Your heart will meditate on terror:
“Where is he who counts?
Where is he who weighs?
Where is he who counts the towers?”
19You will no longer see a fierce people,
A people of unintelligible speech which no one comprehends,
Of a stammering tongue which no one understands.
20Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts;
Your eyes will see Jerusalem, an undisturbed habitation,
A tent which will not be folded;
Its stakes will never be pulled up,
Nor any of its cords be torn apart.
21But there the majestic One, the LORD, will be for us
A place of rivers and wide canals
On which no boat with oars will go,
And on which no mighty ship will pass—
22For the LORD is our judge,
The LORD is our lawgiver,
The LORD is our king;
He will save us—
23Your tackle hangs slack;
It cannot hold the base of its mast firmly,
Nor spread out the sail.
Then the prey of an abundant spoil will be divided;
The lame will take the plunder.
24And no resident will say, “I am sick”;
The people who dwell there will be forgiven their iniquity."
The righteous - those made righteous through faith in Christ Jesus - will escape the fire of God's wrath. Those who do not repent of (turn from) their wickedness will perish in the fire of God's wrath, which was put in place for Satan and his demons. It was never intended for us. The scriptures instruct us multiple times that the FEAR of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That is the starting point. Lord God, teach us to fear you! Lord God, give us Godly sorrow that we may repent and come to salvation in Christ Jesus!
Romans 6:23 has warned us that the wages of sin is death!
2 Peter 3:9 tells us that "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance."
Yet, we have an adversary, the devil, who hates us. He who is vying relentlessly for our souls - wandering about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. He is the ancient serpent who has been expertly destroying lives to hell for a very very long time. His time is short - and so is ours. Our life is but a vapor! Lord, teach us to number our days so that we may present to you a heart of wisdom! (Psalm 90:12)
It is a FIGHT when we are vying for a soul! We MUST go the distance!
After the Israelites had demanded a king God gave them their request. This was not a betrayal of Samuel, their Priest, their Leader. It was a betrayal of God. God gave Israel their king, and a warning. God always gives us a warning. After the betrayal of the people here is what Samuel said to them in 1 Samuel 12:16-25
"Even now, take your stand and see this great thing which the LORD is going to do before your eyes. Is it not the wheat harvest today? I will call to the LORD, that He will send thunder and rain. Then you will know and see that your wickedness is great which you have done in the sight of the LORD, by asking for yourselves a king.” So Samuel called to the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.
Then all the people said to Samuel, “Pray to the LORD your God for your servants, so that we do not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, by asking for ourselves a king.” Samuel said to the people, “Do not fear. You have committed all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart. Indeed, you must not turn aside, for then you would go after useless things which cannot benefit or save, because they are useless. For the LORD will not abandon His people on account of His great name, because the LORD has been pleased to make you a people for Himself. Furthermore, as for me, far be it from me that I would sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you; but I will instruct you in the good and right way. Only fear the LORD and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you. But if you still do evil, both you and your king will be swept away.”
When in the fight for a soul we MUST NOT cease praying for them! This is not just a sin against a soul, but a sin against God! We must never opt out of the battle for a soul, giving up hope - EVER! We will all stand before the Judge of all. His judgment is RIGHTEOUS! And, judgment that is righteous is judgment that is merciful.
God is righteous.
Holiness is not righteousness - though God is holy.
Goodness is not righteouness - though God is good.
Righteousness is EQUITY, CORRECTNESS. There is no equity apart from mercy.
Jesus Christ is our righteousness. His Holy Spirit brings the fruit of correctness, equity, and mercy to our lives. His commands to us are to love God, and love others. And, God desires mercy over sacrifice. Sacrifices never made one righteous.
So, as we relentlessly vie for the soul of another that they may come from death to life we do not quit or lose faith. When my dad was dying there was a fight taking place for his soul. I entered the battle and persevered to the end. After he passed I felt as if I had been in a street fight. I was exhausted and bruised.
When my friend Morgan was dying I, again, was engaged in the fight for a soul and endured to the end. After she passed I, again, felt as if I had been in a street fight. I was exhausted and bruised.
What was the final outcome of their souls? I don't know. They are in my God's merciful hands. We all are. And, none of us can know what transpires in the final moments between an individual and God before passing from this life to the next - aside from a special revelation from the Holy Spirit. What we can know for a certainty is that God is a burning fire, righteous in judgment, and not willing that any should perish - athough the Way is narrow, and few will enter the Kingdom. We MUST ENDURE TO THE END! Never sin against God by quitting on a soul.
Finally, 2 Corinthians 2:14-17 says, "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us reveals the fragrance of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing: to the one an aroma from death to death, to the other an aroma from life to life. And who is adequate for these things? For we are not like the many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God.
As I go along in my walk in Jesus Christ - taking up my cross and following Him, being poured out for His Name's Sake - fewer and fewer want to hear what I have to say - Christians and non Christians alike. The chasm deepens between conflicting spirits. I have become the odor of death to those who are perishing. There may be some who count the relationship with me as a loss, even while still loving me.
At the same time, I become the fragrance of life to those who are of the same Holy Spirit, and even those who hunger for their Creator, as I grow in relationship with Jesus. As I persevere and endure new friendships of the Kingdom are forming and growing! Relationships with biological family members of the Kingdom are strengthened - some after having been restored from a broken place.
Jesus help us to count the cost, and to number our days! Help us to remember as we strive to love and live at peace with all people, that You came not to bring peace, but a sword. Help us to remember that You came to cast fire upon the earth!
Are you willing to become the stench of death to those who are perishing? To have your circle of friends, and influence, grow smaller and smaller in the hope you may endure the sacrifice of Jesus - the cross - that the world may be saved? Remember that just before the cross most of Jesus' friends and followers abandoned Him. Are you willing to undergo the same in order that you may take part in His resurrection, and bring others along with you into the Kingdom?
May the Lord God make His face to shine upon you and give you peace as you continually turn your face to Him. Amen.
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