Today was so beautiful. Almost hot with a slight breeeze. A day made to be enjoyed outside!!
This afternoon I went out and picked some rocks and unloaded them until it was time to get ready to go to town. Since little sister was busy giving aerobic classes, I went and visited Mom until it was time for church. Church is nice. Pastor preached on the Garden of Eden and sin. Stressing that the devil "didn't make us do it", that we make our own choice to sin.
I was just reading a story of a man who was a pastor in a communist country. He worked at a radio station. He was told to stop preaching about Jesus, stop playing Christian music and follow the communist way and he could continue on at the radio station. He refused. They put his son and wife against a wall and told them to renounce Jesus Christ and they could live. The young son immediately said "Never" and they shot him in the head. They put the gun to the wife's head and she replied, "Never" and they killed her. Since the man was able-bodied they took him to a labor camp. This child and woman died for their faith and the man lost everything he had, and yet most people in the United States don't even have the courage to say that there is one true God - the Almighty Creator of all together with His son, Jesus Christ - our Savior - who died in our place as a sacrifice, to save us!
A little over ten years ago I was standing before a group getting an award. Now I don't remember why the other person in my story was up there. I think he was getting an award also. Standing in front of this group, with all eyes on us, I looked the other person in the eye. In that instant I was immediately pulled into darkness. I was lying in the prone position, arms close to my side and head up and facing forward. I could not move a single muscle. It was as though I had been wrapped in an invisible cocoon. I could see, more with my mind's eye, than with my eyes, which were staring straight forward. There was nothing but darkness, but yet I could see into the eternal darkness. I knew that there was no way to get out. I was filled with a feeling of hopelessness and despair. It seemed as though I was there a very long time. Suddenly a light from above encompassed me. It was as though a lid had been removed from this vast darkness. Instantly I was pulled up through a hole above me to where the light was pouring in. The next thing I knew I was back! I was standing in front of the person who was up front with me. There was laughter from the on-lookers, so I am sure we were staring at each other for a little bit. Now that so many years have passed, I probably described it better then, than I do now.
The Bible does describe the above. It took me quite sometime before I understood where it was that I was at. I hoped it wasn't a vision of MY eternal status, after-all I am a sinner and I am bombarded at times with the fear that I am not good enough. I know it is a vision of something to come. However, I am putting my trust in the Lord that He is indeed our Deliverer. Christ died for our sins to save each one of us. Those that have a heart for Him, He will go after. Once you know the Lord, doesn't sin change? Doesn't it become bitter when you partake of it. And the more you don't let go, the more distasteful it is? I grieve at times because I know I am not holy. I grieve for the times I could have taught my children more of the Lord, and did not. But the Lord is with us now, and we go forward from this day on. He mends the past and gives us a future. I won't describe the below Bible verses, as you will know and understand. What the vision means, I don't know, but it will come.
2 Peter 2: "1But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction does not slumber.
"4 For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment; 5 and did not spare the ancient world, but saved Noah, one of eight people, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly; 6 and turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned them to destruction, making them an example to those who afterward would live ungodly; 7 and delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked 8 (for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds) -- 9 then the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations and to reserve the unjust under punishment for the day of judgment, 10 and especially those who walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness and despise authority. They are presumptuous, self-willed. They are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries, 11 whereas angels, who are greater in power and might, do not bring a reviling accustation against them before the Lord.
"12 But these, like natural brute beasts made to be caught and destroyed, speak evil of the things they do not understand, and will utterly perish in their own corruption, 13 and will receive the wages of unrighteousness, as those who count it pleasure to carouse in the daytime. They are spots and blemishes, carousing in their own deceptions while they feast with you, 14 having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin, enticing unstable souls. They have a heart trained in covetous practices, and are accursed children. 15 They have forsaken the right way and gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 But he was rebuked for his iniquity: a dumb donkey speaking with a man's voice restrained the madness of the prophet. 17 These are wells without water, clouds carried by a tempest, for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever."
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Number 16: "27 So they got away from around the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood at the door of their tents, with their wives, their sons, and their little children.
"28 And Moses said: "By this you shall know that the LORD has sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of my own will. 29 If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all men, then the LORD has not sent me. 30 But if the LORD creates a new thing, and the earth opens its mouth and swallows them up with all that belongs to them, and they go down alive into the pit, then you will understand that these men have rejected the LORD."
"31 Now it came to pass, as he finished speaking all these words, that the ground split apart under them, 32 and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up, with their households and all the men with Korah, with all their goods. 33 So they and all those with them went down alive into the pit; the earth closed over them, and they perished from among the assembly."
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