“See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ This phrase, ‘Yet once more,’ indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:25-29 ESV)
Now, in context, “they” is referencing the Israelites who wandered in the wilderness for 40 years, but only those who rebelled against the Lord and against Moses, their leader, and who refused to obey the commands of God, and who continued in deliberate and habitual sin against the Lord. And they are an example to us that we are not to set our hearts on evil as they did, for they were destroyed in the wilderness, and they did not get to enter into God’s eternal rest because of their unbelief (disobedience).
[1 Corinthians 10:1-22; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 12:18-29; cf. Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23]
So, we are to see to it that we do not refuse the Lord as they did, and then end up in hell instead of in heaven. For if sin is what we practice, and not obedience to God, and not surrender of our wills to the will of God the Father, and not holy living, we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips profess. So we need to take this seriously, and we must make a decision today with regard to whom we want to serve – the flesh? Or God? We can’t do both. It is either one or the other.
For a day of judgment is here and it is coming when God will shake the heavens and the earth, and when he will remove from the earth all that is temporary, and not eternal, such as human institutions, wrong customs and morals, false religion and religious practices, and the false church, etc. And what remains is all that is of God, that is righteous, upright, morally pure, honest, faithful, godly, the truth, the word of God, and the gospel, etc. For this is a cleansing of all that is false to God and a preserving of godliness.
So, if we want to be a part of the kingdom of God which remains then we must be crucified with Christ in death to sin, and raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but now as slaves to God and to his righteousness. Now we must not let sin reign in our mortal bodies to make us obey its desires, for if sin is what we obey, and not obedience to God, it will lead to death. But if obedience is what we obey, it leads to righteousness, and its end is eternal life with God (Romans 6:1-23).
[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Peter 1:15; 1 Pet 2:24; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Heb 10:23-31]
For Our Nation
An Original Work / September 11, 2012
Bombs are bursting. Night is falling.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Trust Him with your life today.
Make Him your Lord and your Savior.
Turn from your sin. Follow Jesus.
He will forgive you of your sin;
Cleanse your heart, made new within.
Men betraying: Our trust fraying.
On our knees to God we’re praying,
Seeking God to give us answers
That are only found in Him.
God is sovereign over all things.
Nothing from His mind escaping.
He has all things under His command,
And will work all for good.
Jesus Christ is gently calling
You to follow Him in all ways.
Men deceiving: We’re believing
In our Lord, and interceding
For our nation and its people
To obey their God today.
He is our hope for our future.
For our wounds He offers suture.
He is all we need for this life.
Trust Him with your life today.
