For the Lord shall rise up as in mount Perazim, he shall be wroth as in the valley of Gibeon, that he may do his work, his strange work; and bring to pass his act, his strange act. Isaiah 28:21.
With unerring accuracy the Infinite One still keeps an account with all nations. While His mercy is tendered, with calls to repentance, this account will remain open; but when the figures reach a certain amount which God has fixed, the ministry of His wrath commences. The account is closed. Divine patience ceases. There is no more pleading of mercy in their behalf.
The prophet, looking down the ages, had this time presented before his vision. The nations of this age have been the recipients of unprecedented mercies…. But increased pride, covetousness, idolatry, contempt of God, and base ingratitude are written against them. They are fast closing up their account with God….
The crisis is fast approaching. The rapidly swelling figures show that the time for God’s visitation has about come.
To our merciful God the act of punishment is a strange act. “As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked.” Ezekiel 33:11…. Yet He will “by no means clear the guilty.” “The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked.” Exodus 34:6, 7; Nahum 1:3. By terrible things in righteousness He will vindicate the authority of His downtrodden law. The severity of the retribution awaiting the transgressor may be judged by the Lord’s reluctance to execute justice. The nation with which He bears long, and which He will not smite until it has filled up the measure of its iniquity in God’s account, will finally drink the cup of wrath unmixed with mercy.
After God has done all that could be done to save men, if they still show by their lives that they slight offered mercy, death will be their portion; and it will be a dreadful death, for they will have to feel the agony that Christ felt upon the cross. They will then realize what they have lost—eternal life and the immortal inheritance.
The Faith I Live By p. 338
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for Stephen who has a subdural hematoma that is very serious. Rose
—-Please pray urgently for my son who is in danger of being murdered like his best friend was several months ago. . . . Please continue PRAYING for him and his safety. He has quit smoking for about a week and he is completely sober and off all his drugs and alcohol so that is definitely an answer to prayer. Thank you all for your continued prayers for his safety and salvation. Connie
—-Please keep my boyfriend in your prayers. He has a fine of $150 and if he doesn’t pay it then he has to go to jail. He has no one that he can borrow the money from and he has to pay it by this Sunday. With everything going on with his daughter being in the hospital battling cancer he doesn’t have any money, as all the money that he has has been going to the medical bills. Michelene
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Dear Friends,
Just before my tenth birthday, my mother married a man who was an alcoholic. My life became almost unbearable. After nearly four years he left in the middle of the night taking everything of value in the house except my mother’s guitar and amplifier.
Things did not get better for us. My mother had to sell her guitar and amp just so we could have food. Our landlord would not wait for the rent until my mother found a job, so we had to find a very cheap apartment. Life was very difficult.
Even though we were far from Jesus, He was near to us. I had been taught to pray the “Now I lay me down to sleep….” prayer and as I got older, I added my own words, and had a sort of faith in Him. He accepted the tiny spark of faith as the best I knew. There were many times that he protected us in that crummy apartment. He helped my mother find work, even though she did not recognize it as a blessing from Him. Finally we could move to a better place. Life was still a struggle, and there were many times there was nothing to eat in the apartment except a little flour. But through it all, God was there protecting us and longing for the time when we would come to Him.
Jesus, speaking of His Heavenly Father said, “for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” Matt 5:45 God loves each person in this world whether they love Him back or not. His Spirit draws them, leading them into circumstances that will give them an opportunity to choose His way. He showers His blessings upon them even though they don’t know the Source of all blessings.
“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.” 1 John 3:1-3 Wonderful Saviour! How loving and kind He is! He not only makes us His sons, but He changes us into His image.
May we come to Him while there is still time. May we allow Him to change us into His likeness. May we share His love with others that they, too, may accept His great provision for our salvation.
Rose
The Strange Act of God