Tag: no repentance
Judgment fails to bring repentance!
Scripture reading for December 13: Malachi, Psalm 2, Revelation 9
Revelation 9: 18-21 “By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound. The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or thei sexual immorality or their thefts.”
It is a terrifying thing just to read John’s account of these angels blowing their trumpets and the judgments released on the earth that caused the death and destruction of a third of mankind. But is it even more terrifying to be told that those still alive after these plagues and judgments refused to repent. They still clung to their evil and rebellious way of life and chose to follow demons and gods of their own making that allowed them to do as they wanted. It has been said that sin is a form of insanity that takes us further than we want to go and exacts a price higher than we want to pay and keeps us longer than we want to stay. This is amplified during the great tribulation.
Psalm 2:10-12 “Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear; and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.”
Prayer: Father God, thank You for warning us by Your unchanging Word of the dangers awaiting those who are proud and arrogant and refuse to repent. No one will have an excuse on the day of judgment for You have shown us all mercy by warning us through the prophets and Your disciples. Use me today to share the warning and call all to ‘kiss the Son’ before the day of His holy wrath.
Malachi 4:1-3 “For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of Hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear My Name, the Sun of Righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the Lord of Hosts.”
Judgment but no repentance!
Scripture reading for December 23rd: Revelation 16
Key Scriptures: Revelation 16:8-10 “The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and it was allowed to scorch the earth with fire. They were scorched by the fierce heat, and they cursed the Name of God Who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give Him glory. The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds.”
When parents discipline their children, it is for their good and to bring repentance–a change of mind and attitude and actions. God’s final judgments, are just and true, but those remaining on the earth refuse correction and resist responding as God would desire. Instead, they curse God and refuse to worship or repent. Scorching fire upon the earth and darkness with plagues and human suffering brought cursing of God. God in His patience was offering one last opportunity to repent but man was stubborn and hardened in rebellion. The demonic spirits released on the earth through the beast now gather the people for a final battle at Armageddon. Beware: The end will come quickly and suddenly!
Revelation 16:15-16 “(Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed.”) And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.”
Faith confession and prayer: Father God, thank You for Your just and true judgments and Your mercy towards all mankind. Thank You that You will repay justly those who refuse Your mercy and harden their hearts in total rebellion. Give me opportunity today to share Your great mercy and love through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Just and true are Your judgments and Your great mercy towards the humble and repentant!
Revelation 16:19-21 “The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found. And great hailstones, about one hundred pounds each, fell from heaven on people; and they cursed God for the plague of the hail, because the plague was so severe.”
Repentance resisted!
Scripture reading for December 11th: Malachi, Psalm 2, Revelation 9
Key Scriptures: Revelation 9:20-21 “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.”
John recorded the seven trumpets and their woe brought upon the earth as the scroll had been opened and God’s final judgments were being poured out on the earth. One of the curious truths John recorded was that although many of earths final group of people were killed by the judgments, the rest refused to repent. They clung to their idols and worshiped demons and continued to flaunt the breaking of God’s holy commandments. Neither positive miracles nor the calamitous judgments of these last days could penetrate the hardened hearts. Although they knew the judgments were from God, they refused to ask for His mercy.
Psalm 2:12 “Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him.”
Faith confession and prayer: Lord Jesus, I am in awe of Your great mercy towards me and my family. Thank You for Your love and mercy. I pray that all of my offspring will “kiss the Son” of God, Jesus Christ and take refuge in Him.
Malachi 4:1-2 “For behold, the Day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The Day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the Lord of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear My Name, the Sun of Righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out like calves from the stall.”
One third of mankind dies!
Scripture reading for December 11th: Revelation 9
“The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke of a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. And out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth and were given power like that of scorpions on the earth. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.” (Revelation 9:1-4)
This “star” was evidently an angel who could unlock the Abyss. The Abyss is also known as the bottomless pit and is the prison of fallen angels or demons as well as Satan. (see 2 Peter 2:4; Revelation 11:7, 20:1-3) Upon opening, the Abyss released smoke that darkened the sun and sky on earth and in this smoke were locusts. These locusts had specific power to torment mankind, but not kill them for a specific time of five months. Their “king” was called “Abaddon” or “Apollyon” in Greek which means “Destroyer or Destruction”.
The sixth angel also sounded his trumpet and a voice from the golden altar told him to release “the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” “And the four angels who were kept ready for this very hour, day, and year were released to kill a third of mankind.” (Revelation 9:14-15) These angels were bound somewhere in the current Middle East and had a set day, hour and year to act. These must have been fallen angels that God would use in this judgment on the unrepentant of the earth during the great tribulation. One third of mankind dies from the “200 million mounted troops” empowered by these fallen angels. But the other two-thirds do not repent of their murders, magic arts, theft or sexual immorality! Without repentance, there is no forgiveness of sins and deception will take these others into deeper darkness and ultimate eternal separation from God!
Judgment but no repentance!
Scripture reading for December 18th: Revelation 9:1-21
Many of God’s judgments on His people were not just punitive in nature, but corrective and instructive. Isaiah explained it like this: “When Your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the Lord.” (Isaiah 26:9b-10) God disciplines His people because He loves them. (Hebrews 12:5-6) He punishes the wicked because of His hatred of sin and their refusal to repent!
John watched as the fifth angel sounded his trumpet. As he watched, a star-like object fell from the sky to the earth. This ‘star’ was an angel with a key to the Abyss, and he opened that smoking pit, releasing locust-like creatures with the power to sting mankind. They were instructed to sting only those without the seal of God on their foreheads. Their stings caused great pain, so much that men wanted to die but could not. Their ‘king’ was the angel of the Abyss, whose name was given as ‘Abaddon’ in Hebrew, or ‘Apollyon’ in Greek. (Destroyer) (Revelation 9:1-11)
As the sixth angel sounded his trumpet, another ‘woe’ was released on the earth. An angel was dispatched to unleash the four angels who were bound at the great river Euphrates. John notes, “And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. And the number of the mounted troops was two hundred million.” (Revelation 9:15-16) God had prepared this judgment. These were fallen angels who God had imprisoned and would now release to kill a third of mankind. Death is the result of sin and where there is no repentance, God must judge.
“The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood–idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their theft.” (Revelation 9:20-21) In the face of severe judgment, demonic power taking human life, there is stubborn refusal to repent! Sin is a form of insanity, taking men to their eternal destruction!
Ready to meet God?
Scripture reading for April 9th: Luke 13:1-22
“Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them–do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” (Luke 13:1-5)
We sometimes have a tendency to make judgments about violent events or deadly natural disasters. It is easy to speculate that God punished the ones who died because of some hidden vile sin and they deserved it. Some came to Jesus with a report of some Galileans who had been slaughtered by Pilate as they were offering sacrifices. They were probably Jewish Zealots who had gone to Jerusalem to the temple and Pilate had them brutally slaughtered to eliminate the possibility of sedition. The common theology would have said that they suffered in this way because of God’s judgment! Jesus said this was not necessarily the case. The real need was for those now hearing Him to repent themselves!
Jesus then brought up another report of a collapsed tower that had fallen on workers and killed them. If these were Jewish workers, they were working for the Romans and the common judgment was that God punished them for their compromise with the pagan Roman government. Jesus said that this was also not the case. The people’s greatest concern should be for their own readiness to meet God.
Dying without repentance is the worst possible thing that can happen to anyone! God must judge them for their sins when they could have found forgiveness and eternal life. Jesus went on to warn them that they also must produce fruit in their lives. Like the story of the fig tree that had only taken up valuable space but produced no fruit, God is looking for fruit from each person and His people. His patience will run out and the tree without fruit will be cut down! It’s time to focus on our own hearts and quit judging others! Facing the Lord could happen at any time! I want to be ready!
Judgment brings no repentance!
Scripture reading for December 18th: Revelation 9:1-21
Many of God’s judgments on His people were not just punitive in nature, but corrective and instructive. Isaiah explained it like this: “When Your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the Lord.” (Isaiah 26:9b-10) God disciplines His people because He loves them. (Hebrews 12:5-6) He punishes the wicked because of His hatred of sin and their refusal to repent!
John watched as the fifth angel sounded his trumpet. As he watched, a star-like object fell from the sky to the earth. This ‘star’ was an angel with a key to the Abyss, and he opened that smoking pit, releasing locust-like creatures with the power to sting mankind. They were instructed to sting only those without the seal of God on their foreheads. Their stings caused great pain, so much that men wanted to die but could not. Their ‘king’ was the angel of the Abyss, whose name was given as ‘Abaddon’ in Hebrew, or ‘Apollyon’ in Greek. (Destroyer) (Revelation 9:1-11)
As the sixth angel sounded his trumpet, another ‘woe’ was released on the earth. An angel was dispatched to unleash the four angels who were bound at the great river Euphrates. John notes, “And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. And the number of the mounted troops was two hundred million.” (Revelation 9:15-16) God had prepared this judgment. These were fallen angels who God had imprisoned and would now release to kill a third of mankind. Death is the result of sin and where there is no repentance, God must judge.
“The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood–idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their theft.” (Revelation 9:20-21) In the face of severe judgment, demonic power taking human life, there is stubborn refusal to repent! Sin is a form of insanity, taking men to their eternal death!
Shishak–A ‘wake-up’ call from God!
Scripture reading for April 25: 2nd Chronicles 10-12
Have you ever slept through an important event or meeting that you were supposed to attend? Have you shut the alarm off or hit the “snooze” button and then failed to make it to work or an important gathering? King Rehoboam got an unusual “wake-up” call from a prophet of God and a pagan king, Shishak of Egypt, and his 1200 chariots! (2nd Chronicles 12:3) Sometimes the wake-up call is death staring us in the face!
The problem with Rehoboam was his failure to keep regular appointments with God and obedience to God’s law after he was established and became strong. (2nd Chronicles 12:1-2) Rehoboam followed his father Solomon to the throne. But he failed to listen to wise advise and evidently failed to seek the Lord and obey His law. Instead he sought the advice of his own peers and sought his own way and welfare over the welfare of the people God had entrusted to him. We may get by doing this for a while, but soon our sins find us out.
When we disobey and dishonor the Lord, we open the door to Satan’s attack. Rehoboam found himself under attack by Shishak, King of Egypt. Shishak had 1200 chariots and many hired warriors. God sent a prophet named Shemaiah to warn Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah and to help them see their errors. Upon hearing the Word of the Lord, the king and the leaders humbled themselves and God relented of destroying them. He did allow Shishak to carry off the treasures of the Temple and the royal palace. (2nd Chronicles 12:6-9) The king and the people became subjects of Egypt.
Rehoboam heard the wake-up call and responded temporarily. He was spared destruction but did not truly repent. He continued to do evil in God’s eyes and failed to set his heart on seeking the Lord in everything. (2nd Chronicles 12:14)
This is a sad story that is repeated often in our time as well. Many have divided loyalties and God sends his “wake-up” calls. Sometimes we humble ourselves and repent but often we go right back to doing the same old things that cause us to not seek the Lord fully. If you have trouble in this area today, ask the Lord to fill you with the Holy Spirit. Take this message as your “wake-up” call and respond with all your heart! You wouldn’t want to miss the most important appointment in all eternity!