“For you formed my inward parts; you covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;” Psalm 139:13-14 The fashioning of a human being is near to miraculous. At three weeks after conception, often before the mother even realizes she's pregnant, the baby’s heart is beating. Imagine it, 22 days after conception, the child has grown from a single cell to a baby developed enough to have a beating heart. vs 15: “My frame was not hidden from you, when I was made in secret;” It's a miracle unfolding while yet unseen, a child with functioning organs before it is known that the child even exists, truly it’s the process of being “fearfully and wonderfully made.” vs 16: “Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. and in your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” From the moment of conception the Lord has already written the story of this little person’s life in a book, recording what was planned for him or her every day of his/her life. It is an inestimable evil to interfere with this and snuff out the life of this child. It is murder and indeed, the blood of that child calls out to the God who was forming it: “And he said (to Cain) ‘What have you done? THE VOICE OF YOUR BROTHER'S BLOOD cries out to me from the ground. So now you are CURSED from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.'” Genesis 4:10 To take a life is a horrendous evil, regardless the stage of development of the child. We begin developing at the moment of conception when our DNA is uniquely coded, and our development continues until the day of our death. There is no stage at which a person is not a person. From conception there is no day upon which one becomes a person, but wasn’t a person the day before. Who would have the AUTHORITY to declare such a thing isn't true? One live sperm, alive with the father’s DNA joins with one live ovum, alive with the mother’s DNA. When they join, they no longer carry the DNA of either parent, but a whole new set of DNA from the joining of the two. So the life in this cell is not the life and the soul of the father, nor the life and the soul of the mother, it is its own life, a new life, with its own soul and its own DNA. In America today anything goes. America, once beautiful in the Lord’s hands, has become lawless, has become corrupt, a slap in the face to the One who established it. Today the blood of 70 million children cries out to God to avenge their murder. When judgment falls, it will be as in the days of Noah, once that door has been shut everyone outside will perish. God said he will not destroy the world again with a flood, but that the next time …it will be ...by fire. “For this they willfully forget: that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same Word, are reserved for FIRE until the day of judgment AND PERDITION OF UNGODLY MEN.” 2nd Peter 3:5-7 Don’t fool yourself, that day IS going to come. Jesus told us the signs to watch for that would signify the “last days,” and they are all present, every one of them. Soon the door to the ark will close and there will be no more opportunity for repentance. Repent now, come to the Lord now while there is yet time. Do not presume that you will repent at some convenient time later, the Lord knows the intents of the heart and those who think they’ll repent at some time later only deceive themselves and rarely get that chance. God is not mocked (Galatians 6:7). Don’t play with the issues of life and death, salvation and eternal judgment, it’s too serious to take it lightly. The signs are here saying the door is about to close, and soon the statement will be fulfilled for multitudes: “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!” Jeremiah 8:20 Don't be among them.
"O God, why have you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?" Psalm 74:1 WHY??? Before judgment fell upon Israel, the Lord spent years sending prophets to warn them. The Lord pleaded with them not to rebel against him. Reading the Book of Jeremiah, one is struck by the intensity of God's heart as he pleads with them. One sees the tenderness, God's love for his people, his warning them not to continue in the ways of rebellion, his pleading with them. But they wouldn't listen. In fact, they put forth false prophets who "prophesied" that they were the chosen people of God and that God will always keep them and no harm will come to them. They hated the "prophets of gloom and doom," and even killed some of them. They were defiant. They stomped their feet in defiance and they actually threw Jeremiah into a dungeon. Finally ...judgment fell. And they were shocked. They cried out to God. Hear what they wail to God as suffering surrounds them: vs 4, 6, 7: "Your enemies roar in the midst of your meeting place; They set up their banners for signs... ...and now they break down its carved work, all at once, with axes and hammers. They have set fire to your sanctuary; they have defiled the dwelling place of your Name to the ground." Now ...when judgment has fallen upon them ...they wonder why. Instead of killing the prophets of God, they should have killed the prophets who told them all was well. They had listened to the false prophets, and now they're in shock when judgment comes. Deja vu. That's the picture of what's happening in our society today. vs 10-11: "O God, how long will the adversary reproach? Will the enemy blaspheme your Name forever? WHY do you withdraw your hand, even your right hand? Take it out of your bosom and destroy them." "Why?" How can they ask "why?" This they need to be told: "Because you REFUSED the warnings of God throughout all the days of his pleading with you. Now you've been given over to your enemies." And now those enemies are destroying our country. And they mean to continue it all over the globe. The people are like children, pointing the finger to the ones hurting them, telling how they're being wronged, and accusing the enemy of reproaching God's Name. There's no hint here of repentance, only of pointing the finger away from themselves. Listen to them pointing the finger: vs 18: "Remember this, that THE ENEMY (rather than themselves) has reproached, O Lord, and that a foolish people (not themselves) has blasphemed your Name." This very thing is happening today. America has gone into deep and defiant sin. God has sent many to speak to the people and warn them that judgment will surely come if they continue in their refusal to repent. One of the great voices in the land has been the voice of Jonathan Cahn - a Jew. A Jew from the tribe of Levi. How could God make it any plainer? Jonathan wrote a book, "The Harbinger," but most refuse to read it. He speaks at every opportunity, but few are heeding his call to repentance. It's as though God is pleading, pleading, pleading, "Oh my people, please -please don't continue in defiance, I hate judgment but if you continue it will have to be poured out upon you at last." It's chilling to consider that there have been two eclipses forming a huge X over America. Jonathan Cahn is one of MANY voices pleading with the people to come to repentance. Franklin Graham, Jan Markell, pastor JD Farag, pastor Billy Crone, Jack Hibbs and so many others. But many have turned to the “people pleasers” who woo them with wonderful words of health, wealth, and prosperity. Where has discernment gone? Why can't they see the deception they're falling for? Why can't these people see the con men for what they are? What can we say? Deja vu. There are true men of God shouting everywhere that judgment is coming, pleading with the people to repent, but the people rather are listening to the voices of the false prophets who tell them that all will be well. Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Kenneth Copeland, even the Pope. This is a story being repeated right before our eyes. Deja vu. There leaves little to say, it's all been said. If anyone is reading this who has been among those expecting only good, get down on your knees before the Lord and heed his pleading to repent. Don't be lost when the judgment falls. For fall, it surely will. Soon ...and suddenly. Deja vu.
"According to the commandment of the Lord they were numbered by the hand of Moses, each according to his service and according to his task; thus were they numbered by him, as the Lord commanded Moses." Numbers 4:49 God spoke to Moses and told him to take the number of all the Levites, according to the work assigned to them in the service of the Tabernacle. The Lord goes into lengthy detail, listing every job in the service of the Tabernacle. Every job was uniquely important, from taking care of the oil for the lamps, to taking down and carrying the boards of the structure of the Tabernacle when they moved. Just as much attention was paid to the small things as to the large ones. The details of the jobs are listed exhaustively and specifically in every facet of each work The New Testament Scriptures tell us that all that was written before was written FOR OUR LEARNING. "For whatever things were written before were written for our learning..." Romans 15:4 The in-depth descriptions of every job great or small brings to our attention that each and every job given us by God is equally important. If one of the Levites failed, if one didn't show up, if one job was not performed, it would affect the entire function of the whole service. What is your job? Be sure - God has numbered you in your call. You were chosen before the foundation of the world and you have a specific, unique, and particular role to play that no one else can do. "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, WHICH GOD PREPARED BEFOREHAND that we should walk in them." Ephesians 2:10 Concerning your works, your function in the Body of Christ, God has totally prepared you to be able to do them. He has fitted each one of us with the talents, the gifts and the personality that perfectly enables each one to carry out his part. And if one refuses, if one buries his talents, if one has deceived himself into thinking that his part is negligible, if one excuses himself thinking he isn't able, if one makes any excuse at all, the lack of that part will have very real consequences. It is vitally important not only to God but to all who will be affected by your calling, that you know what your role is and that you do not rob the Body of Christ by refusing to perform it. Pray with me: Father, show me where I've made excuses not to serve you, not to function in the role you have prepared me for. I ask of you two things: 1. Show me what my talents are, and HOW to use them for your service. Show me how you've prepared me to fulfill all I'm called to do. Show me the opportunities you have made available to me to serve you in my calling. Confirm to me what my specific talents are, that I might be encouraged to use them in your service. Show me the delight that will be mine when I know I'm doing what you've called me to do. And Father, impress upon me the seriousness should I not play my role, and the consequences of holding back the function I am to provide. 2. And Father, I also ask you to show me what I am NOT called to do. Show me which works I do that are NOT my role to perform, as these will be works of wood, hay and stubble, works that are worthless, spinning my wheels in doing things I am not called to do (1st Corinthians 3:12). Father I pray for clear direction from you, that I may know that I know that I know what it is you have called me to do and how to do it. I ask for guidance and wisdom in this Father, in Jesus's Name I pray.
