Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – September 9, 2016
Hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come. Revelation 6:16-17
There are posers who profess to know God, but He will one day say to them, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23). It is scary to think an individual can believe they are ok with the Lord when they are not. Maybe they heard the truth of the Cross, but they did not receive the truth by faith into their heart. There has never been an exchange of trust in themselves to a total dependence on Christ. Faithless fools may have good religious feelings, but they have not surrendered to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.
John describes the coming judgment of Christ—no one is excluded: kings, princes, generals, the rich, and the mighty. Everyone must give an account of their life on earth. So, fearful of God’s wrath, they call to the mountains and rocks to fall and cover them from the coming peril. In the end as in the beginning, sin causes mankind to try to hide from the Lord—a frivolous and naive response—juxtaposed to owning and repenting of sin. Christ’s judgment exposes unsaved souls.
“This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous” (Matthew 13:49-50).
It is uncomfortable to picture a loving God having a system of judgment that includes hell. However, would He really be loving if He did not punish sin and reveal religious hypocrites for pretending to be something they’re not–true followers of Jesus? We water down the Word of God when we feel like we have to apologize for the Lord’s consequences that accompany improper beliefs. Oh how He loves us, because on Judgment Day, wrongs will be made right in His sight.
In the meantime, pray for those who genuinely believe they are right with God, but have yet to be born again. Teach those who are religious but lost, about a desperate desire for the Lord that follows submission to the Lord. Help fellow church members move from a head full of knowledge to a heart full of passion to pray. Information about Jesus becomes alive, when Jesus is experienced in a personal, loving and intimate relationship. Ask the Holy Spirit to flush out impostors today, before it is too late to change. Trust Jesus as Savior to avoid Him as Judge.
“If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, lead me into a genuine relationship with You through Your son Jesus.Application
Whom do I need to remind and/or warn of God’s judgment to come?Related Reading
Zephaniah 1:14-15; Matthew 25:32; 1 Corinthians 14:21; Revelation 20:15Post/Tweet today
There are posers who profess to know God, but He will one day say to them, “I never knew you.” #WisdomHunters #Christ’sjudgmentWorship Resource
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