"Blessed is the man that walketh not after the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of scornful." - Psalm 1:1
Brethren, I have somewhat to say to thee. I sense that a spirit of mockery and scoffing has entered into the Church of God.
As a brother in Christ, I rebuke you in the name of the Lord.
Remember, first of all that the mind that was in Christ Jesus should also be in us. Jesus lifted his eyes up to Jerusalem and wept over her[Luke 19:41]. At another time, He had compassion over the multitude for they were as a sheep that had no shepherd. [Mark 6:34] Jesus Christ does not mock the confusion and the lies of the people. No, he gives us great grace. Though we grope as in darkness at noon day, He chose those that He loved to anoint them with eye salve and open their eyes.
Let us not be a people that scoff at the ungodly. Lately, many of us have been guilty of scoffing and abusing others with our words. We have mocked people that thought the "rapture" was going to take place on the 21st of May. Many of our words have been less then kind. But also, we have mocked the idea of the Judgement day. We have made jokes, and written blogs etc. about what would take place if the "rapture" actually did happen? We stood around in our kitchens counting down the hours to the "appointed time." We asked each other what their rapture experience was.
Harold Camping may have been wrong about the time and the mode of Christ's coming; however, Christ is coming. So, before we open our mouth to laugh and ridicule, let us take a few moments to examine ourselves, to make our calling and election sure, to understand what the Bible says about the coming judgement (The Lord our God will come as a thief in the night. Are you watching and praying that ye enter not into temptation?), and to weep for those that are as sheep with out a shepherd.
The following is an exert from Thomas Watson's book All Things for Good:
Pity those who are not yet called.
"Sinners in scarlet are not objects of envy, but pity; they are under 'the power of Satan' (Acts 26:18). They tread every day on the brink of the bottomless pit; and what if death should cast them in! O pity unconverted sinners! If you pity an ox or an ass going astray, will you not pity a soul going astray from God, who has lost his way and his wit, and is upon the precipice of damnation.
Nay, not only pity sinners, but pray for them. Though they curse, do you pray; you will pray for persons demented; sinners are demented. "When he came to himself" (Luke 15:17). It seems the prodigal before conversion was not himself. Wicked men are going to execution: sin is the halter which strangles them, death turns them off the ladder, and hell is the burning place; and will you not pray for them, when you see them in such danger?"
I encourage you to have attitudes of pity for the wicked: "But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom. I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother." (Psalm 35:13-14)
Unless Harold Camping repents, he is destined for an eternal judgment. This is not something to mock, laugh at, or make jokes of. Most of the world is destined for Hell. As a Christian, if you saw someone going to the French guillotine, would you laugh in their face? If someone said to us, "tomorrow half of the United States will fall into the Ocean," would we laugh them to scorn. Is this not what the heathen do? O, brethren, have pity on the poor, confused sinner. Remember, you once were such.
What does the Bible say about the Judgment:
(This is not at all exhaustive)
"But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." - Mark 13:32
"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." - 2 Peter 3:10
"Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." - Revelations 3:3
God will have no John the Baptist to herald his coming. He will come when no man looks for Him. [Luke 12:46] Are you ready for His coming? Will you be found eating, drinking, making merry. Will you call to your friends to dine with you as in the days of Noah? It may be no surprise to you that judgment day did not come on May 21st, 2011. But I ask, "When judgment comes, will you be taken by surprise."
"Make your calling and election sure." -
"And cast ye the unprofitable servant into utter darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." - Matthew 25:30
Brethren, do you know that you will someday be joined to that heavenly kingdom? Do you know for a fact that you have been called? Is your heart in heaven already? Have you wrestled with God for a blessing?
You must know. You cannot just hope. You cannot wait. Christ may return this very moment. Will you be found as one of His sheep? Will you be covered with the blood of Christ? "And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him in to outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called but few are chosen." - Matthew 22:11-12
"Most men shape their religion according to the fashion of the times: they are for the music and the idol (Daniel 3:7). The serious thought of this should make us work out our salvation with fear, and labour to be in the number of those few whom God has translated into a state of grace." - Thomas Watson
For those that are called:
Brethren, I have somewhat to say to thee. I sense that a spirit of mockery and scoffing has entered into the Church of God.
As a brother in Christ, I rebuke you in the name of the Lord.
Remember, first of all that the mind that was in Christ Jesus should also be in us. Jesus lifted his eyes up to Jerusalem and wept over her[Luke 19:41]. At another time, He had compassion over the multitude for they were as a sheep that had no shepherd. [Mark 6:34] Jesus Christ does not mock the confusion and the lies of the people. No, he gives us great grace. Though we grope as in darkness at noon day, He chose those that He loved to anoint them with eye salve and open their eyes.
Let us not be a people that scoff at the ungodly. Lately, many of us have been guilty of scoffing and abusing others with our words. We have mocked people that thought the "rapture" was going to take place on the 21st of May. Many of our words have been less then kind. But also, we have mocked the idea of the Judgement day. We have made jokes, and written blogs etc. about what would take place if the "rapture" actually did happen? We stood around in our kitchens counting down the hours to the "appointed time." We asked each other what their rapture experience was.
Harold Camping may have been wrong about the time and the mode of Christ's coming; however, Christ is coming. So, before we open our mouth to laugh and ridicule, let us take a few moments to examine ourselves, to make our calling and election sure, to understand what the Bible says about the coming judgement (The Lord our God will come as a thief in the night. Are you watching and praying that ye enter not into temptation?), and to weep for those that are as sheep with out a shepherd.
The following is an exert from Thomas Watson's book All Things for Good:
Pity those who are not yet called.
"Sinners in scarlet are not objects of envy, but pity; they are under 'the power of Satan' (Acts 26:18). They tread every day on the brink of the bottomless pit; and what if death should cast them in! O pity unconverted sinners! If you pity an ox or an ass going astray, will you not pity a soul going astray from God, who has lost his way and his wit, and is upon the precipice of damnation.
Nay, not only pity sinners, but pray for them. Though they curse, do you pray; you will pray for persons demented; sinners are demented. "When he came to himself" (Luke 15:17). It seems the prodigal before conversion was not himself. Wicked men are going to execution: sin is the halter which strangles them, death turns them off the ladder, and hell is the burning place; and will you not pray for them, when you see them in such danger?"
I encourage you to have attitudes of pity for the wicked: "But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom. I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother." (Psalm 35:13-14)
Unless Harold Camping repents, he is destined for an eternal judgment. This is not something to mock, laugh at, or make jokes of. Most of the world is destined for Hell. As a Christian, if you saw someone going to the French guillotine, would you laugh in their face? If someone said to us, "tomorrow half of the United States will fall into the Ocean," would we laugh them to scorn. Is this not what the heathen do? O, brethren, have pity on the poor, confused sinner. Remember, you once were such.
What does the Bible say about the Judgment:
(This is not at all exhaustive)
"But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father." - Mark 13:32
"But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." - 2 Peter 3:10
"Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee." - Revelations 3:3
God will have no John the Baptist to herald his coming. He will come when no man looks for Him. [Luke 12:46] Are you ready for His coming? Will you be found eating, drinking, making merry. Will you call to your friends to dine with you as in the days of Noah? It may be no surprise to you that judgment day did not come on May 21st, 2011. But I ask, "When judgment comes, will you be taken by surprise."
"Make your calling and election sure." -
"And cast ye the unprofitable servant into utter darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." - Matthew 25:30
Brethren, do you know that you will someday be joined to that heavenly kingdom? Do you know for a fact that you have been called? Is your heart in heaven already? Have you wrestled with God for a blessing?
You must know. You cannot just hope. You cannot wait. Christ may return this very moment. Will you be found as one of His sheep? Will you be covered with the blood of Christ? "And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him in to outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called but few are chosen." - Matthew 22:11-12
"Most men shape their religion according to the fashion of the times: they are for the music and the idol (Daniel 3:7). The serious thought of this should make us work out our salvation with fear, and labour to be in the number of those few whom God has translated into a state of grace." - Thomas Watson
For those that are called:
"...but such as love Christ are joyful to think of His coming in the clouds. They then will be delivered from all their sins and fears, they shall be acquitted before men and angels, and shall be for ever translated into the paradise of God." - Thomas Watson
Take heart. For the Christian, the coming day of our Lord means the end of all sorrow, pain, grief, tears. There will be no more striving against sin. There will be only Love to carry us to Heaven. There will be only love in Heaven. No more faith, repentance, hope. "This my joy therefore is fulfilled." - John 3:29
So I ask, while you mock a mentally sick man, post blasphemous jokes on your blogs, and sit in the seat of the scoffers, is your heart right with God? Will you be put in the balance and be found wanting[Daniel 5:27]? I say to you, "Be warned." God wants us to be more like Christ. God wants His Church to be spotless. I tell you, "God's church is not a place for mocking, cruel gestures, or scoffing."
"Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man." - Colossians 4:6
Sola Deo Gloria
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