Ears to Hear, Listen! – Light from the Word

Prayer, the Cry of the Soul

The book of Psalms undouble expresses our cries in many ways. For that reason, we often go there to find comfort and learn how to present our cries to the Lord. They are testimonies of God’s faithfulness in every situation. Psalm 42:5 says, “Why are you cast down, o my soul? And why should you moan over me and be disquieted within me? Hope in God and wait expectantly for Him, for I shall yet praise Him, my Help and my God.” Reading the psalms, we find similarity with the writers of the Psalms. It is as if they were expressing our feelings in many cases. The book of Palms is filled with praises and acknowledgement of Whom God is. Merciful, loving, powerful, patient, etc. In Psalm fifty-one King David expresses sorrows for his sin with repentance, seeking God’s forgiveness. The cry of his soul is evident in the acknowledgment of his desire to be clean from his sin: “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and guilt and cleanse me and make me wholly pure from my sin, for I am conscious of my transgressions and I acknowledge them; my sin is ever before me… Create in me a clean heart, o God and renew a right, persevering and steadfast spirit within me” (Ps. 51:2-3,10).

The Patriarch Job’s testimony of faithfulness to God written in his book, is a book we must not overlook. One, where he expresses his feelings of frustration being confident of his innocence before God and to his friends who came to comfort him. He expresses himself saying, “Surely, I wish to speak to all Almighty, and I desire to argue and reason my case with God” (Job 13: 3). In his deep hurt, where his heart cried before God, he prayed, “Oh, that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come even to His seat! I would lay my cause before Him and fill my mouth with arguments; I would learn what He would answer me and understand what He would say to me” (vs. 23:3-5). That’s the prayer cry from his soul, when suffering was intense and there was no answer to his prayer. Job’s desperation brings home to us as we too ask, God, “where are You”? Day and night we find ourselves submerged in the agony of doubt, Where is God? Our sufferings are not to be compared with Job’s sufferings, but everyone’s soul go through a valley or a desert hard enough to call on God for help. That’s where prayers from the soul cries to God in intimacy, waiting for His deliverance as Job, did. In spite of his sufferings, Job still feared God. He had much to say that showed his faith and taught us patience. He so declared, “For I Know that my Redeemer and vindicator lives, and at last He will stand upon the earth and after my skin, even this body, has been destroyed, then from my flesh or without it I shall see God, Whom I, even I, shall see for myself and on my side! And my eyes shall behold Him, and not as a stranger!” (Job 19:25-27). That’s a declaration of faith knowing that his eternal future was secure in the hands of His God.

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Peace That Will Bring Destruction

Peace is sought to be attained today through the alignment of nations as the Mideast with their neighbors, most importantly Israel. They call it the Abraham Accords, and the Cyrus Accord. Israel is in the center of prophecy. A nation created by God, has broken the covenant with Him by walking away from His commandments to worship other gods and do what they pleased in their gross way of living an immoral life contrary to God’s commandments. They rejected their Messiah and chose the cruel King Caesar, as their king, when they shouted crucify him, away with Him! Away with Him! Crucify Him! Pilate said to them, Crucify your king? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar! (John 19:15). Israel is under coming judgment without escape. The Prophet Jeremiah so prophesized, Alas! For that day will great, so that none will be like it; it will be the time of Jacob’s trouble, but he will be saved out of it. (Jer. 30:7); Daniel 12:1b: “And there shall be a time of trouble, straightness and distress such as never was since there was a nation till that time.” No peace without YAHSHUA, the Prince of Peace, will last. Paul confirmed by saying, “When people are saying, all is well and secure, and, there is peace and safety, then in a moment unforeseen destruction will come upon them as suddenly as labor pains come upon a woman with child; and they shall by no means escape, for there will be no escape (I Thess. 5:3).

In spite of these peace accords Israel will be invaded by the Northern alliance countries. These invading forces are Gog of the land of Magog, the prince of Rosh, of Meshech and of Tubal. Persia, Cush and Put or Libya with them, Gomer Togarmah in the uttermost part of the north. The Lord says, Behold, it is coming and it will be done, says the Lord; that is the day of which I have spoken (Ezekiel 39:9) These present countries are Iran, Cush or Ethiopia, Put or Somalia, Gomer or present-day Germany and Armenia with Russia as the leader.

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Forgiven, Healed, Redeemed, Provided For – Bless the Lord Oh My Soul!

When our Savior, YAHSHUA redeemed us, He blessed us with all the spiritual blessing in the heavenly realm. The moment we accepted His gift of salvation, we became His children and Elohim blessed us in Messiah with all the spiritual blessings (Eph. 1). It is to marvel at the fact that Elohim not only gave us the gift of salvation through His Son, but also made us heirs with Him. As such, we are partakers of all the privileges of children of God. Before the foundation of the world, He chose us to be holy, set apart, blameless in His sight before Him in love; We were adopted as His own children in accordance with the purpose of His will, so that we might be for the praise and the commendation of His glorious grace; we were saved through His blood and forgave us of our sins; we also have obtained an inheritance to the praise of His glory; we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession to the praise of His glory (Eph. 1). We were made alive in our Savior and Lord, YAHSHUA eternally.

In His sufferings to atone for our sins, YAHSHUA was despised, He carried our diseases and sorrows, He was smitten of God and afflicted; He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him and by His scourging we are healed. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet, He did not open His mouth; by oppression and judgment He was taken away (Isa. 53). Suffering the agony of hell in our instead, He cried to His Father, My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? He suffered insults from those whom He was giving up His life to save them. He was poured out like water and all His bones were out of joint; His heart was like wax; it was melted within Him; His strength was dried up like a potsherd, and His tongue cleaved to His jaws; And (God) laid Him in the dust of death, they pierced His hands and His feet; He could count all His bones… (Ps. 22).

The entire world was under condemnation; sick, hopelessly chained up under the control of the evil one. The Bible says, “As it is written, none is righteous, just and truthful and upright and conscientious, no not one. All have turned aside; together they have gone wrong and have become unprofitable and worthless; no one does right, not even one…” (Rom. 3:10-16). We all have sinned and are fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). We were dead in our trespasses and sins; we were then by nature children of [God’s] wrath and heirs of [His] indignation; but God – so rich is He in His mercy! Because of and in order to satisfy the great and wonderful and intense love with which He loved us…He made us alive with Christ; it is by grace that you are saved (Eph.2). In His love and compassion, He forgave us with His precious blood; He healed us with all the stripes He received in His body. Many were they; we cannot fathom the terrible acts from sinners against Him; He redeemed us for Himself and raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together in the heavenly sphere in Messiah YAHSHUA (Eph.2). He provides for all our spiritual and physical needs. In what manner should we show Him our gratitude? Must we live as if nothing happened? While He carries in His body the marks of His sufferings a testimony of His love? We, a speck of dust, made of clay, deserving eternal death, must realize that we were purchased with the precious blood of Messiah, like that of a sacrificial lamb without blemish or spot (I Peter 1:19). We were purchased; so, we belong to YAHSHUA, Who shed His precious blood as a ransom for us; it is by His grace through faith that we are saved; salvation is not of ourselves, but it is a gift of God (Eph. 2:8). Therefore, Paul says, we live, not us, but YAHSHUA lives in us. That gives Him the complete right to own our soul: will, emotion and the intellect, or the mind. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me (Gal. 2:20). That means, we died to the desires of the flesh that is not pure or according to the will of God. It is a life of faith that compels us to please our Savior, in return for what He did for us. Now, the mind of the flesh [which is sense and reason without the Holy Spirit] is death. But the mind of the Spirit is life and peace. The mind of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit itself to God’s Law; indeed, it cannot (Rom. 8:6)

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And The Peace of God…

Peace is the world’s cry from the time sin entered it. Peace is the presence of God, bringing joy, happiness and tranquility to the soul. There are many enemies of peace, which are ever trying to destroy the mind’s ability to function. There is a battle for the mind of men in order to separate them from God’s principles, His peace and joy. To discredit His attributes and Who He is, to doubt His love and His word. We live in a world of confusion for not embracing His Word as true and powerful as we read in Hebrews 4:12: “for the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power; it is sharper than any two edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life and spirit, and of joints and marrow, exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.” YAHSHUA warned us saying, “Do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble” (Matt. 6:34). The path of life is many times uncertain. In many ways it will lead us where we don’t want to be. Decisions we make significant or not, will have consequences good or bad. The least will take us out of our comfort zone sometimes for a long time. When we embrace anxiety and everything else in its family, they will control our emotions and disease our body. The will of God is that we be free from anxiety. We are to make our requests known to Him by prayer, supplications and thanksgiving. Then He will bless us with His peace, the peace that transcends all understanding and He will guard our hearts and minds in Christ YASHUA (Phil. 4:6-7). That’s a promise worthy of our consideration as part of life. But as it is, we keep asking for things God has already promised or given us. The missing link here is lack of faith in many cases, denying us the fulfillment of His promises.

Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God; and God’s peace which transcends all understanding shall guard your hearts and minds in Christ YAHSHUA.” Because sin has taken peace away from us and replaced it with anxiety, worries and fears, these are the first things that come to the mind in times of trouble. It is certain that physical diseases will follow, if we do not correct our feelings. As it is said, worries lodges in the stomach and heart; fear in the kidneys, anger in the liver. We stay sick because we do not consider the word of God to have answers for our problems. It should be embarrassing to every Christian to live a life doubting the Word of God. The Lord said to the Prophet Jeremiah, “I am alert and active, watching over My word to perform it” (Jer. 1:12b); “For as the rain and snow come done from the heavens and return not there again, but water the earth and make it bring forth and sprout, that is may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth out of My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but It shall accomplish that which I please and purpose, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent” (Isa.55:10-11). What our Lord God promised us; He will fulfill in His time. “God is faithful by Him you were called into companionship and participation with His Son YAHSHUA Messiah our Lord” (I Cor. 1:9). “The Word of the Lord is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Ps.119:89). It was by the Word of God that the world was created. The Bible says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God Himself. All things were made and came into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made that has come into being” (John 1:1-4).

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A Moabite Woman Who Would Not Give Up

In those days when the judges ruled the nation of Israel, there was a famine in the land. (Ruth 1:1a). Elimelech, his wife Naomi and family moved to Moab at that time. However, their future became uncertain with the death of Elimelech and his two sons, who were married to Moabite women named Orpha, and Ruth. Naomi decided to move back to Israel with her two daughters-in-law. However, she insisted on them staying, but as she was leaving, they wept aloud; Orpha, one of the sisters, kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. She said, urge me not to leave you or to turn back from following you; for where you go, I will go, and where you lodge, I will lodge. Your people shall be my people and your God my God (Ruth 1). Ruth’s decision to leave everything behind, including her gods, family to follow the God of Naomi and her people was an attitude of sacrificial love. This action was prophetic in itself of a beautiful future. A future so special, she never dreamed of. Descendent of Lot, Abraham’s nephew, from a nation with an embarrassing beginning, nonetheless, God had a future and a hope for Ruth in a far and distant future, although she would not have a chance experience the excitement of it. Ruth was a chosen one unknown to her. She was both a widow and an alien, touching the heart of God. With courage and determination, she entered an unfamiliar territory, where a Moabite was not looked at with favor. But she performed all that her mother-in-law suggested her to do in that foreign land. Strong physically and emotionally, Ruth remained faithful to the end. Where she was gleaning was in the field of Naomi’s husband kin, Boaz.

Naomi stayed behind the scene teaching Ruth how to behave in that culture, not knowing how she was being used to bring about God’s plan for Ruth’s life, a plan in which Naomi would be part of. She would no longer be alone. Her life would be filled with joy in the fulfillment of God’s plan for Ruth, whose life was an ordinary life with an extraordinary future ahead of her. Ruth was in the right place in the space of the right time for all to happen as God planed. She had to be willing to leave behind all that was important to her, including her religion and her family. YAHSHUA said, Truly, I tell you, there is no one who has given up and left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or lands for My sake and for the Gospel’s who will not receive a hundred times as much now in this time- houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecution – and in the age to come, eternal life (Mar. 10:29-30). Although, Ruth did not have in mind this concept YAHSHUA presented, she took a path of obedience for God to fulfill His plan through her. In spite of being a foreigner, she was respected for her act of compassion toward her Jewish mother-in-law Naomi. When the time came for her to marry Boaz, the people rejoiced with her and Naomi, saying, May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your house like Rachael and Leah, the two who built the household of Israel. May you do worthily and get wealth in Ephratah and be famous in Bethlehem, (prophetically of YAHSHUA) and let your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the Lord will give you by this young woman (Ruth 4:11-12). Ruth’s future as well as Naomi’s took root in these prophetic words uttered by the people which took thousands of years for its fulfillment, while generations multiplied. God, however, in His appointed time brought all to fulfillment.

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The Tree that Changed the Destiny of Mankind

The serpent in that perfect garden of Eden served as an instrument for Satan to fulfill his plan against God’s creation in his fallen state. Obviously, he hated men, whom God created as His image and wanted them condemned to hell. Eve became his target and was deceived by the serpent which was crafty and she was prone to listen to the devil. A battle for men was happening at that time, and Eve made it easy, for not perceiving the reality. Was she aware of whom Satan was and his enmity against God since they did not have the understanding of good and evil, with the exception of not “to eat from the tree in the middle of the garden.” Obviously, Satan hid himself behind the voice of the serpent to deceive Eve and bring them to condemnation of the curse. The battle raged on and he won. The beautiful garden, pure and perfect, where there was the presence of God was painted black; its shinning disappeared in the waves of sin; men’ destiny shifted to Satan’s control. So, it was that the earth bent to him lost its beauty, peace, and love. Now, violence, hatred, homicide and everything evil took the form of the curse.

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil and blessing and calamity was not to be eaten from (Gen. 2:17a). That command sealed God’s agreement with men. Obviously, Adam was the recipient of that command, for Eve to fall for the serpent’s idea without defending God’s command. When the prohibited fruit was yanked from the tree it felt the pain, as If it knew what was happening to the human race from eating that prohibited fruit whose message carried consequence to all who ate it for generations to come. When Eve listened to the serpent’s voice, disregarding God’s voice, she lost her relationship with Him, for she had believed the serpent’s words, doubting God’s word and breaking the agreement with Him to obey. As a result, she brought down the entire world with her, including her husband.

The tree was disregarded and dishonored by Eve. So, God sent Adam out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. So, “He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim with the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life” (Genesis 3:22-24). In this, we see nature changing, as well as the ground being cursed. Life was left marked by sin and a curse. Men multiplied, so did their iniquity, while nature of all kinds suffered the consequences of their evil acts. “How long must the land mourn and the grass and herbs of the whole country wither? Through the wickedness of those who dwell in it, the beasts and the birds are consumed and are swept away… “says Jeremiah “because the ground is cracked and the tillers are dismayed, since there has been no rain on the land, the plowmen are put to shame, and they cover their heads. Yes, even the hind gives birth to her calf in the field and forsakes it, because there is no grass or herbage and the wild donkeys stand on the bare heights; their pant for air like jackals or crocodiles; their eyesight fails because there is no grass. O Lord though our iniquities testify against us, deal and work with us for Your own sake! For our backslidings are many; we have sinned against You” (Jer. 12:4; 14: 4-7). In Romans 8:19-23 Paul says: “For the creation waits expectantly and longs earnestly for God’s sons to be made known, for the creation was subjected to frailty, not because of some intentional fault on its part, but by the will of Him Who so subjected it with the hope that nature itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and corruption into the glorious freedom of God’s children . We know that the whole creation has been moaning together in the pains of labor until now, and no only creation, but we ourselves too…” (Rom. 8:19-23a).

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Adopted into the Family of God, We Cry out “Daddy”

When men sinned, they were separated from God. And what that meant, eternally. Men were now under the curse of sin and under its condemnation, under God’s judgment, because with the mind of the flesh, men can never please God. For the mind of the flesh is death; those who are according to the flesh and are controlled by its unholy desires set their minds on and pursue those things which gratify the flesh. When we sinned, it took control of our mind and body. We became enslaved to its desires. No one could free us from the curse, as Paul described men situation under the power of sin: For I know that nothing good dwells within me, that is, in my flesh. I can will what is right, but I cannot perform it, for I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am doing… O unhappy and pitiable and wretched man that I am! Who will release and deliver me from this body of death? O thank God! [He will] through YAHSHUA Messiah our Lord! So then indeed I, of myself with the mind and heart, serve the Law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin (Rom. 7:20-25). As a result, condemnation is removed from those who walk not after the desire of the flesh, but after the dictated of the Spirit (Rom. 8:1)

When YAHSHUA came to the world, He came to break the chain of sin that held us prisoners to its power from all those who believe on His name (Jn.1:13). It was the love of God that compelled Him to save His creation from the power of Satan. He did by giving up His own life to give us His own life, restoring us to Himself for ever. With that, He gave us the power to become His children. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God (Jn. 3:18). If we are living according to the flesh, we must die; but if by the Spirit we are putting to death the deeds of the body, we will live, for we have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but we have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Rom. 8: 15). There is nothing more touching to the human heart, than YAHSHUA’S love. He has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenly realm! He chose us before the foundation of the world, He adopted us as His own children through YAHSHUA Messiah, He redeemed us through His blood and forgave us in accordance with the riches and the generosity of His gracious favor, in Him we also were made [God’s] heritage; and we obtained an inheritance, so that we who first hoped in Christ live for the praise of His glory! We were stamped with the seal of the long -promised Holy Spirit. He is the guarantee of our inheritance, in anticipation of its full redemption and our acquiring possession of it- to the praise of His glory (Eph.1).

[Page 2 includes the poem, The Orphan’s Cry”]

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Faith, the Sparkplug Necessary to Activate the Word of God

God’s Word says, without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would come near to God must believe that God exists and that He is the rewarder of those who earnestly and diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6). When we approach God to present our needs to Him, we must mix our faith with His word, so that His word will be affective in our prayer life. Asking without believing is without a doubt an insult to His attributes. It constitutes a serious spiritual problem in the sense of relationship with Him. How many times our prayers are not heard because our attitudes didn’t line up with faith in order for a harmonious relationship between us and our heavenly Father? Knowing our heart and its motives, knowing how wicked and faithless it is, our God will not be pleased with us. Our faithless life style finds no pleasure in our spiritual growth, because it is faith that connects us to Him. “Therefore, while the promise of entering His rest still holds and is offered, let us be afraid [to distrust it], lest any of you should think he has come too late and has come short of reaching it. For indeed we have had the glad tidings proclaimed to us just as truly as they [the Israelites of old did when the good news of deliverance from bondage came to them]; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because it was not mixed with faith on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness by those who heard it; neither were they united in faith with the ones [Joshua and Caleb] who heard (did believe)” (Heb. 4:1-2).

The Word of God has been given to us thousands of years ago. While the message it displays remains quiet and ineffective for most of the time in the lives of Christians, its messages are powerful and strong. He said, “Is not My word like fire? Says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks in pieces the rock [of most stubborn resistance]?” (Jer. 23:29). “For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life and the spirit, and the joints and marrow, exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). Knowing these truths about the Word of God, shouldn’t we demonstrate honor and respect to it? Since it is the spoken words of God? Shouldn’t we desire to learn about God better and His commandments in order to have a closer relationship with Him, our heavenly Father? The Israelites missed the mark for not listening to His spoken and written word. Even though having experienced God’s presence at Mount Sinai and all throughout their pilgrimage to the Promised Land, miracles upon miracles, supernaturally fed and cared for. But Israel suffered from ATTENTION DEFICIT (ADHD). They did not have faith to mix with the Word of God and were left in the desert, without reaching the Promised Land. We read in Hebrews chapter 1, verses 1-3 the following: “In many separate revelations and in different ways God spoke of old to [our] forefathers in and by the prophets. [But] in the last of these days, He has spoken to us in [the person of a] Son, Whom He appointed Heir and lawful Owner of all things, all by and through Whom of all things, also by and through Whom He created the worlds and the reaches of space and the ages of time; He is the sole expression of the glory of God; nature, upholding and maintaining and guiding and propelling the universe by His mighty word of power,. When He had by offering Himself accomplished our cleansing of sins and riddance of guilt, He sat down at the right hand of the divine Majesty on high.” To us He has given His precious words of warnings, teachings, sanctification in order for us to be more as He is. The effectiveness of God’s Word is based on faith that pleases Him. Faith that connects to His words, faith that assures us of our prayers answered. Experiencing a life of answered prayers is a confirmation that our faith is being mix with God’s word. It has been connected to Him in a relationship that unites us to Him, never again to doubt what He said.

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The Price YAHSHUA Paid Positioned Us of no More Condemnation

That means that we are no longer debtors to the flesh, with its demands. We are now children of God and heir with His Son, YAHSHUA, chosen before the foundation of the world to be molded according to the pleasures of His will, to be like Him. So, All things work together for good, so God will accomplish His will of molding us into the image of His Son. It is a permanent thing from the time we were born again until eternity when we see Him face to face and as it, we will be as He Is. It is progressive from glory to glory; with unveiled face continued to behold as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, constantly being transfigured into His very own image in ever increasing splendor and from one degree of glory to another from the Lord (II Cor. 3:18). Our salvation is a continuous work of sanctification, we must submit ourselves daily, moment by moment. Not only on Sunday while in church. We have been raised with Christ; our aim is to seek that which are above, where our Savior is seated at the right hand of God; our mind must be set and kept set on heavenly things. Because as far as the world is concerned, we have died for the world and our new life is hidden with Christ in God. And the beautiful promise is that when Christ appear, we will appear with Him. (Col 3: I-4) If you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the Gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul was made a minister (Col.1:23)

Now, if we were chosen before the foundation of the world unto salvation and sanctification, why do we think that leaving the path of sanctification will we be saved? What does Romans 8:28 says? That all things are working together for God’s purpose of our salvation and molding unto the image of His Son in a continuous plan until eternity, when all will be consummated in His time. That means We are in a new covenant- the covenant of blood with Him. YAHSHUA did His part of redemption and we are to do ours of agreement to its requirements.

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God’s Final Judgment to Come on the Earth

It started with our forefathers Adam and Eve, when they transgressed God’s law and fell into disobedience. God’s judgment in the form of a curse fell on the entire world as a result. Generation to generations to come have experienced and seeing the misery sin brought to all of us, even before we were born! Condemned, we were! It was a judgment that only YAHSHUA, God’s Son could ransom us from eternal condemnation. With that, His image was restored with the presence of His Holy Spirit given to us. The world, however has rejected this gift and remains under God’s condemnation. In the days of Noah, the people also rejected Noah’s message. They were swept away under the fury of God’s judgment. Noah witnessed the severity of the wrath of God while safe in the ark. Nature revolted against the sin of the people and responded with force against them, until they were gone, as God directed it. In another time, when the sins of men reached God, He brought judgment to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, in the days of Lot. Only he and his family were saved. In this case, God’s judgment was isolated to those cities, not to the entire world. But God showed mercy to the righteous Lot and his family.

The Apostle Peter has warned us that this present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly people. It is a fact, we must consider, for it will happen against the ungodly people. Peter left a warning for us to take: to be found by YAHSHUA without spot and blemish and at peace (II Pet. 3). The book of Isaiah chapter 24 is a mini book of Revelation without seals and bowls: The earth is utterly broken, the earth is rent asunder, the earth is shaken violently; the earth shall stagger like a drunken man and shall sway to and fro like a hammock; its transgression shall lie heavily upon it, and it shall fall and not rise again… said, Let me warn you therefore, beloved, that knowing these things beforehand, you should be on your guard, lest you are carried away by the error of lawless and wicked and fall from your own firm condition (II Pet. 3). Come my people, enter your chambers and shut your doors behind you hide yourselves for a little while until the [Lord’s] wrath is past. For Then the moon will be confounded and the sun shamed, when the Lord of hosts, Who will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and before His elders, will show forth His glory (Isa.24). It will be days of divine vengeance. No one will escape. Behold, the Lord is coming out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will disclose the blood shed upon her and will no longer cover her slain and conceal her guilt (Isa. 26:20-21). This perhaps seems too far away from you in your frame of time. However, a thousand years in God’s sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night (Ps,90:4). Peter confirmed Moses words and warned us saying, Nevertheless, do not let this one fact escape you, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day (II Peter3:8). So, where does it leave us as we are waiting for our Lord? We must be prepared all the time. Scoffers are asking, Where is the promise of His coming? For since the forefathers fell asleep, all things have continued exactly the as they did from the beginning of creation (II Peter 3:44). This is a position of disbelief in the Word of God. Therefore, if we remain in this position, we will be left behind to suffer all the consequences of our disbelief. When the disciple Thomas doubted the resurrection of our Lord, He told him, Reach out your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand and place it in My side, Do not be faithless and incredulous, but believe! Then Thomas answered Him, My Lord and my God! (John 20:27-28). Thomas repented and was saved. If you do not repent of your incredulities, you will be found condemned to eternity out of the presence of God. For it is a fearful thing to incur the divine penalties and be cast into the hands of the living God! (Heb.10:31).

When God’s judgment comes it will be merciless. We all know how patient He is, but He is also holy; when our sins reach His holiness, He will stand to defend it by destroying the earth and its inhabitants. Chapter 6 of Revelation starts with the opening of the seals of judgment. When the Lamb broke open the sixth seal, I looked, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun grew black as sackcloth of hair, the moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky dropped to the earth like a fig tree shedding its unripe fruit out of season when shaken by a strong wind and the sky rolled up like a scroll and vanished, and every mountain and island was dislodged from its place. Then the kings of the earth and their noblemen and their magnates and their military chiefs and the wealthy and the strong and everyone slave or free hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains and they called to the mountains and the rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of Him Who sits on the throne and from the deep-seated indignation and wrath of the Lamb. For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand before it? (Rev. 6).

When God’s holiness touched Mount Sinai, it was wrapped in smoke, for the Lord descended upon it in fire; its smoke ascended like that of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly (Exod. 19:18). We have no idea how serious it is when we disrespect the holiness of God! We might not be aware of it, but in time, continuing in this path, you know soon or later how holy He is. The Egyptians were judged for having many gods and mocking the Israelites God. They were judged with several plagues and at the end, they were drowned in the Red Sea in pursuit of Israel. Israel, experienced and witnessed God’s judgement in many ways while in their journey to the Promised Land. They always seemed to have touched the holiness of God. And in their life time as a nation, they continued with their wicked ways. Many did not make to the Promised Land and were killed in the desert. The writer to the letter to the Hebrews confirms saying, Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion and their provocation and embitterment in the day of testing in the wilderness (Heb. 3:7-12). God’s time frame for judgment will come when many do not expect. For the nation of Israel, God’s plan is to refine her as gold and silver. The Prophet Zachariah says, I will hear and answer them, I will say, It is My people; and they will say, the Lord is my God! And in all the land, says the Lord, two-thirds shall be out off and perish, but one-third shall be left alive; and I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined and will test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will hear and answer them. I will say, It is My people: and they will say, The Lord is my God. (Zech.13:8-9)

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