Sunday, December 19, 2010

January 18 (Genesis 19; Matthew 18; Nehemiah 8; Acts 18)


Genesis 19 tells us the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. These cities were so wicked that God finally destroyed them with fire from heaven. It is a sad story. In fact chapter 18 tells us that there were not even 10 righteous people in the city. Read today’s chapter to find out how pitifully wicked the people were, but in the space we have I want to focus on one of the sadder elements of this story.

When Lot goes to his sons-in-law to tell them to flee the coming destruction verse 14 tells us “he seemed to his sons-in-law to be joking”. How terrible! Judgment is coming, the patience of God is done, the people are in a mess, and they think that the warnings are a joke.

Think about this in the context of the massive earthquake that hit Hati a little over a year ago. What a calamity! It should break our hearts on a number of different levels. It should also, however, cause us to think what God would have us to take away from this. Beyond the immediate reaction of the church being the body of Christ to the victims through aid and intercessory prayer I believe the Lord would have us think on even more personal terms. (See Luke 13:1-6 as Jesus responds to calamity).

One of the many lessons that I believe God would have us take away from Hati is that we are no different from the ones who perished this week. We deserve an earthquake everyday, every one of us, due to our sin and rebellion against God. We are all citizens of Sodom and Gomorrah! It is only by grace that any of us are, like Lot, rescued! The call to listen and heed to summons of the gospel are serious indeed! Life and death are at stake today. No joke.

1 comment:

  1. My only response to this is no response. I have discovered that my glass house can not with stand anymore holes. I sin daily and if it weren't for the grace of God I would be looking at that braod road to hell and everyday I still ask God, what do I have that you could possilbly want? I can't wait till he tells me. Bro Doug

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