Friday, April 1, 2016

Hallelujahs to God

Revelation 19:1-2 - ..I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her."

In Revelation 19 it starts with praises, hallelujahs, by a heavenly host of people to God for the judgment upon Babylon (the world) and the saving of His people Israel. This is yet to come! 

In our BSF Lesson 24 study this was written:
The multitude shouts, "Salvation and glory and power belong to our God." The word "salvation" here means God's saving victory on behalf of His people. With His sovereign power, God justly condemns Babylon. God alone exercises this awesome control...

When Jesus returns again, He will destroy all who oppose His reign of righteousness. There will be no tears over the deaths of those who have persistently rejected the Savior. ... God's people grieve over those who do not know Him. But no trace of sadness will mar heaven's happiness on the day of Babylon's destruction.

Now, however, is still the day of salvation! Today is the time to repent. ... God yearns for people to "turn from their ways and live." God alone truly grasps how dreadful His justice will be for His enemies. It is the holy and sovereign Judge who pleads, "Turn! Turn fro your evil ways! Why will you die...?"

We are all sinners. None of us can even consider that we are good; that is the way of the world. What we are seeing these days is a total lack of respect for and rejection of God. Because of it we are where we are with evil surrounding us. I know some will smack their lips and shake their heads thinking things will get better, that a loving God wouldn't do this. He is still a loving God, but His justice will prevail on this world. 

None of us can predict our own demise. It might be today or tomorrow or years from now. But the fact is if we don't know the Lord today, should death come swiftly without time to call out to Him, we are among those who will be severely judged...and those who are saved will supernaturally be spared the tears and pain...because we are saved and under the loving arms of our King. So, what stops you from a worldly death, apart forever from God?

It's April 1. Many are playing jokes on others or wishing others a "Happy April Fool's Day." It's supposed to be funny. I used to do it too. Here's what God thinks of fools: 
The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good. They have all turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one. (Psalm‬ ‭14:1,3‬)

Hmmm, where have I heard similar words? Roman's 3 reiterates this: As it is written: There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all turned aside; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one...And the way of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes. (‭Romans‬ ‭3:10-12,17-18‬)

That is truth. That is the majority of people. Do I claim to be perfect? No. Do I still fail? Yes. That's why I realized, and still do, a need for a Savior, why we all need Him.

When we have received Jesus we will be among those who glory in what He will do some day. We will see the enemies of God destroyed. As horrible as that sounds, that we would worship Him for removing all those who do not submit their lives to Him, it's part of His justice that can only be understood (and often even that is hard) when we know Jesus and learn of God's ways. We are either on His side or the enemy's. 

I need not say more. The decision is yours.

Revelation‬ ‭19:5-6‬ ‭- ...“Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!” And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty 
thunderings, saying, “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!”

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