Friday, October 21, 2022

PEOPLE’S RESPONSE TO PREDICTED STORMS

 

 


I find weather forecasting fascinating and impressive. With the use of special instruments, the professionals predict the weather, and every year, they warn residents to prepare, evacuate, or take cover. As we all know, storms can be very destructive; property is damaged or destroyed, but most tragically, lives are lost. It takes time and money to rebuild when a storm is over.

But do people really heed these warnings? Yes and no; some do, but others don’t. Those who don’t heed the warning complain they have nowhere to go or want to tough it out. Those who evacuate return home after the storm to see the loss they have suffered, but their lives are spared. Those in the latter group often end up seriously injured or worse.

There’s another storm coming, known as the Day of the Lord; the warning has been out for years and continues to sound—it is the day that God will punish evil and fulfill His promises to those who trust in the blood of Jesus. People react differently to warning signs. Some people have responded and taken cove; others procrastinate because they think they have time, and there are those who could care less. No matter how individuals feel or answer, the Day of the Lord will come; it will mean different things to different people.

How are you preparing for the inevitable coming storm? If you’ve heard the gospel in the past and chosen to ignore it, don’t ignore it any longer. God is holy, just, and faithful; His Word has never failed and is not going to. His decree is this: “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). So if you keep postponing making a decision, you’ll be heading for an eternity without God in hell.

Take cover, my friend! Understand that God hates sin; our sins have separated us from Him. Out of His love for us, He prepared a way to bridge the gap between Him and us. He sent Jesus, His only Son, to take on the punishment we deserve for our sins. However, this is not a blanket offer; each individual has to act on their behalf. Each person has to repent of their sins and ask God for forgiveness based on Jesus’ sacrifice. That’s the only way one can be made right with God and escape His judgment and punishment. The Bible tells us: “God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood” (Romans 3:25).

Are you ready to become a new person in Christ Jesus? God is waiting to hear your call for mercy; call Him before it is too late. After all, no one knows how much longer they have to live in this world. Once you die, you cannot repent; your doom is sealed! Please don’t let that happen to you! Do this today and share this message with others, so they can also escape God’s wrath.

If you made that decision, welcome to the family of God! He has forgiven you and put the Holy Spirit into your heart as confirmation that you are His child. It is also a guarantee: “The Spirit is God’s guarantee that He will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people” (Ephesians 1:14).

If you’ve just become a child of God, find a Bible-believing church for fellowship, read your Bible and pray daily. The Holy Spirit will guide and give you an understanding of what you read; obey what it says, and, gradually, you will notice that your way of life is changing (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). You’ll begin to be sensitive to sin, you’ll hate it, and you’ll want to be holy as God is holy. His charge for Christians is: “You must be holy because I am holy” (1 Peter 1:16).

Dear reader, the storm is brewing; I hope you see it! What have you done about it, or what do you plan to do about it? Do it now; the sooner, the better. Time is running out!

 

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