Daily Devotional for Monday August 21, 2006

Will you Ignore the Warning

(Hebrews 9:27; 2 Peter 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 1:7,8)

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, I listened with great interest to the interviews with the people in New Orleans who decided to stay, especially when they were asked why they ignored the warning to leave. The majority of the people simply stated they didn't believe the warning. One after another, they shared how they have heard these warnings over and over through the years and nothing ever happened, so they decided to just ignore the warning. We will probably never know how many people died from Hurricane Katrina, but suffice it to say the vast majority of those who perished lost their life because they ignored the warning.

As you read the Old Testament, God sent His spokesmen, the prophets, to warn the people from time to time. Sadly, in most cases the people ignored the warning from God and ended up paying a HUGE price. Today, we have God's Word that clearly warns us what will happen when we choose to live our lives in rebellion to Him. Unfortunately, most people in this world have chosen to ignore those warnings. Like many of the people in New Orleans, they simply don't believe that God will judge each person for their sins, that God will judge nations who rebel against Him, and that ultimately God will judge this entire world and bring it to an end. God has clearly warned us about His judgment in His Word, but most people choose to ignore Him.

Many times over these past 84 months I have warned you specifically about God's pending judgment on the United Sates because of our rebellion to Him. It is a clear warning supported by God's Word that if we don't turn from our wickedness, God will send down His wrath upon our land. I'm afraid that most non-Christians laugh at such a notion, choosing not believe it will ever happen. Worse though, I am afraid most Christians have heard the warnings so many times and haven't seen anything happen, they choose to ignore these warnings.

That is why our nation is now deep in rebellion to God and there seems to be little desire or motivation to change. Heathen who openly live in rebellion to God and Believers who don't really believe what God has said. We have embraced the false gods and idols of this world, bowing down to and worshipping them. We are lost in every kind of sexual sin imaginable, no longer having any shame but actually being proud of our perverse choices. We watched in horror as terrorists were responsible for 3,000 of our citizens being killed on 9/11, deeply moved by those who lose their lives in natural disasters, yet think nothing of practicing infanticide, killing over 4,000 innocent babies every day. Even though we have God's Word and have seen His judgment on nations for their rebellion throughout 6,000 years of human history, we have chosen to ignore God's warning about His judgment on our nation.

While God has called me in these last days to sound the trumpet of warning to this nation and world of God's pending judgment, my number one job is to warn you of His pending judgment in YOUR LIFE! God has explicitly warned us in His Word that those who die in their sin will be lost for all eternity. I want you to know today that because of your sins, you are separated from the God who created you and loves you so much. It is out of His infinite love for you that He has made a way for your sins to be forgiven and for you to spend all eternity with Him when this brief life is over.

Let me be blunt with you. One day, YOU will die. That is a fact. At that moment, you will stand before God and there will only be one question, "Do you know Jesus as your Savior by faith?" That is a "yes" or "no" answer. You won't have the opportunity to stand there and say, "no, but." God is not going to be interested in your excuses. Each person in their life is responsible for accepting or rejecting Jesus Christ into their heart and life by faith and each person will be held accountable by God for all eternity for that choice.

Let me ask you a simple question. If you died this very moment, do you have the complete assurance without any doubt that when you stand before God He will welcome you into His presence for all eternity because you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ?

I love you and care about you so much. Sadly, many people died in New Orleans because they ignored the warning. They chose to either not believe the warning or because they had heard that same warning before and nothing happened, figured nothing would happen this time either. This nation, this world has been warned by God in His Word and by many of His servants throughout the years of His coming judgment. Just like many of the people in New Orleans, this nation and this world have chosen to ignore the warnings from God. One day, very soon, God's judgment will be unleashed on this nation and on this world for its rebellion exactly as God said He would in the Bible.

Today, maybe for the first time, maybe for the 100th time, maybe for the 1,000th time, you are hearing the warning from God that the moment you die you will stand before God and be judged by Him. If you die having rejected Christ, your soul will spend all eternity apart from the God who created you. You will be lost for all eternity. God's desire is that ALL come to repentance, that none be lost. By putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ you can have the assurance that at the moment you die you will be forever with the Lord, spending all eternity with Him. That is the choice each person that lives has to make, that is the choice that YOU have to make.

I will be praying for you. Praying that you will not be like so many in New Orleans who for whatever reason chose to ignore the warning. The warning I share with you today concerns your eternal soul. I am asking you to not only HEAR this warning today, but RESPOND to this warning today.

Let me ask you a simple question again. If you died this very moment, do you have the complete assurance without any doubt that when you stand before God He will welcome you into His presence for all eternity because you have placed your faith in Jesus Christ? If you do not have that assurance, please go to: www.liveprayer.com/bdy_salvatn.html Pray, ask God to open your heart to the truth of the words there, and make the choice today to ask Jesus Christ into your heart and life by faith. Please don't ignore this warning!!!