The Flaming Sword

I have written have written previously about the Lord's holy fire in my article, Holy Fire Baptism, and now I would like to show you something you may not have seen before in Scripture. I want to first prove from the Bible that the Lord Jesus Christ carries a flaming sword, and then share a testimony of a divine revelation that confirms this.

The Word of God is a Sword
The Holy Spirit spoke through the apostle describing the Word of God as being sharper than any double-edged sword: “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Heb 4:12).  The Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, penetrates further than any other sword.  It reaches places that no open-heart surgeon can ever reach. It actually pierces between soul and spirit, and judges the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts.

Jesus is Called the Word of God
Jesus is the Word of God, according to the apostle John.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (Joh 1:1) and “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (Joh 1:14)

A Sharp Sword Proceeds from His Mouth
When John saw the risen Lord Jesus Christ on the Isle of Patmos, he said, “In His right hand He held seven stars, and out of His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword; and His face was like the sun shining in its strength.” (Rev 1:16)

Jesus said, "And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: The One who has the sharp two-edged sword says this: (Rev 2:12)

Jesus said, “Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth.” (Rev 2:16)

The Lord fulfills what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah, who said, "He made My mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of His hand He hid Me; He made Me into a polished arrow and concealed Me in his quiver." (Is 49:2).

The Lord Slays the Wicked with the Fiery Breath of His Mouth
The apostle said that Jesus would overthrow the evil, antichrist ruler with the fiery breath of His mouth.  "And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will overthrow with the breath of his mouth and destroy by the splendor of his coming."  (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

The fact that He is able to overthrow the lawless one with His breath implies that it is fiery breath, which the prophet Isaiah explicitly declared. As I have written about in my article, The Holy Fires of Hell, the prophet Isaiah described the Lord in his wrath with flames coming forth from his mouth.  He said, "His lips are filled with indignation And His tongue is like a consuming fire; His breath is like an overflowing torrent..." (Is 30:27-28).  Jesus slays the wicked with His lips! “He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked” (Isa. Isa. 11:4). 

The apostle John wrote: “He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, ‘KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.’ Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, ‘Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.’ And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.” (Rev 19:13-21)

Judgment by Fire And by His Sword
Isaiah prophesied about the return of Christ, when the Lord will execute judgment on all flesh by fire and by His sword. He said, "For behold, the LORD will come in fire And His chariots like the whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire. For the LORD will execute judgment by fire And by His sword on all flesh, And those slain by the LORD will be many." (Isa 66:15-16).  Both His fire and His sword are mentioned, so the Lord will use them both in combination to carry out judgment.

Fire from the Mouths of the Two Witnesses
During the 42 month period of Great Tribulation, the Lord will give His two witnesses power to destroy their enemies who try to harm them, which they will do with fire that comes from their mouths. "If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die." (Rev 11:5).  If He gives such power to His witnesses, don't you realize that He Himself possesses even greater fire power?

Fire From Heaven Consumes the Wicked
The apostle John received a revelation of the future, final battle against satan and his evil hordes.  He wrote:

"When the thousand years are over, satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Rev 20:7-10)

The Lord's Fiery Countenance
Although the Bible does not say explicitly that the Lord's sword is a flaming one, here are some more reasons why we might assume it is. 

The apostle John described His fiery countenance like this: "I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance." (Rev 1:12-16).

Since His eyes are like blazing fire, His face is like the sun shining in all its brilliance, and His feet are like bronze glowing in a furnace, we see a definite continuity of the fire theme from His head to His feet.  Every aspect of Him shining brilliantly and He even holds seven stars in His right hand.  So it would be consistent for the sword that proceeds from His mouth to have the same aspect to it.

The Flaming Sword That Turns in Every Direction
The flaming sword was originally stationed near the garden of Eden to keep fallen man from partaking of the tree of life:  “So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Gen 3:24).

Since Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords, He would never give a sword to any created being that was greater than His own sword.  We know from Scripture that fiery breath and a sharp sword both proceed from His mouth.  Therefore, it is my sincere belief that Jesus has a flaming, two-edged sword that turns every which way.  If you do not believe it is a flaming sword of fire, then you must suppose that our Lord has a metal sword sticking out of His mouth.

Lord Jesus, You are El Gibor
You are a mighty Man of War
Arise now with your flaming sword
Eternal praise shall be yours forever more.

-- Anonymous adult, Verses to the King

Confirmation from Revelation to Samuel

Samuel Oghenetega

I have written in a separate post about the Visitation of Jesus to Samuel Oghenetega, a fourteen year old Nigerian boy, which happened in June and July of 2013.  In that visitation, the Lord referred to His flaming sword of fire a few times as follows:

Prepare for the rapture
The Lord gave Samuel a message for His Bride. "Prepare for the rapture. It will be like a dream."  The Lord gave him Mt 24:29-31, and he saw a picture of the people being caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and the caption said, “Come, My faithful servants.”

The Lord said, "There shall be wars and earthquakes before I come. I will heal the sick. Keep on praising me and I will rise with my flaming sword to fight."

Hell shall not prevail
"I shall hear and answer the cry of my very elect. I shall stand with my flaming sword against the darts of the devil, and satan and hell shall not prevail over you. The grace that thou seekest shall I deliver unto thee."

Pray for the salvation of your soul and other souls
"If you want me to save others, keep on praying for them and I shall arise with my flaming sword. And I and Michael the archangel and his hosts shall war and fight and shall deliver them."

Jesus rebukes satan to his face
Samuel said: “Then from 11:00 to 11:54 PM, He gave me the diagram of Lucifer himself.  And this is what he’s saying: ‘No! Humanity cannot be saved from my hand.  I am Lucifer! No, no, no!  Linda (Ngaujah) did her own damage.  Ezekiel Moses did his own.  Michael Sambo did his own.  Abraham Yakubu did his own.  And…No, no, no! This little boy, Tega Samuel Immanuel wants to cause (cost) me more damage.  Beelzebok and Jozebok, prepare the army for battle!  This must not happen.  Prepare for battle! No, no! I was cast out from heaven.  Now I am in my kingdom, which is hell fire. What have I done to deserve this damage.  It was only humanity that chose hell. No, no!  I shall be prepared for battle. I am Lucifer, and no one can take away humanity from my hand!’

“So after that, Jesus Christ now answered. Jesus said with anger (at that time his eyes were red), ‘I, the Lord of hosts, rebuke you, satan! Did you shed your blood for their souls? You wicked and unfaithful servant of My Father’s house! Because you want to overthrow My Father, and you did not succeed, then you are cast away.  Why are you now complaining?  I shall kill you with my flaming sword of fire.  In our last battle I will, at the last day of My Father’s judgment. And My Father shall be seated in heaven, and watch I and you and your armies fighting, and I shall prevail over thee, and the name of My Father shall be glorified.’”

When Samuel heard the Lord say to satan, "I shall kill you with my flaming sword of fire -- in our last battle I will, at the last day of My Father’s judgment," it seems to agree with the passage of Scripture I have already quoted in Revelation 20:7-10.

Then the Lord said to Samuel, “Be not afraid, son, I am with thee, and Lucifer shall not overcome thee, because I have chosen you.”

Samuel says, “After I finished drawing the diagram of Lucifer, I fainted. They could not carry me. I became as heavy as sand.”

Putting it All Together
The word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and Jesus' name is called the Word of God. Furthermore, the Scripture teaches that He will destroy the lawless one with the fiery breath of His mouth, and His wicked enemies with the sharp, two-edged sword that proceeds from His mouth.  I believe it is a flaming sword that turns every which way, burning with His holy fire, which the Lord clearly revealed to Samuel Oghenetega.

The Lord instructed us to keep on praising Him, and to keep on praying for the salvation of others' souls.  He reassured us that He would hear and answer the cry of His very elect.  He promised to arise with His flaming sword and fight against the devil and his demons on our behalf.  He shall deliver His chosen ones from the enemy.  satan and hell shall not prevail over us. And He shall deliver unto us the grace that we seek.

The Lord said, there shall be wars and earthquakes before He comes. He is going to shake this world one last time.  He is coming right away.  He has sent His angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Behold, the day of our Lord’s wedding is at hand." Repent! The Lord has spoken. Only the ones who are truly seeking the Lord with all their heart will be spared from the coming judgment.  The Lord is coming only for a holy people, ready, without blemish, without wrinkle and without defilement.  He is not coming for those who have walked away from Him.

As the Scripture says, "Every Word of God is flawless; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Do not add to His words, or He will rebuke you and prove you a liar." (Pro 30:5-6) For there are "those who are pure in their own eyes and yet are not cleansed of their filth." (Pr 30:12).

The only way we can have purity and holiness in our lives in these last and evil days is through repentance, the blood of Jesus, and the holy fire.  The third and final baptism with which He’s going to clean up His Church is the baptism of fire.  He’s going to make us ready to turn loose this world.  It is a holy fire, because it is not produced by man. It is produced by the one, true, holy God.  It is a promise for the believer, according to Mt 3:11.

If you love the holy fire of God, then you are wise.  Ask the Lord to purify you with His holy fire from everything that will not pass through the fire as purely from Him.  Ask Him today for the Holy Fire Baptism.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.
 
Author's note:  If you enjoyed this post, please see Opportunities to Serve the Body of Christ.  You may also enjoy Holy Fire Baptism, Michael Thomas Sambo's Revelation of Heaven and Hell, Visitation of Jesus to Samuel Oghenetaga, Ezekiel Moses Testimony of Heaven and Hell, The Holy Fires of Hell, The Refiner's Fire, The Three Elijahs, The Burning Ones, and The Fiery Sufferings of the Believer. You find the Main Directory for this blog at Home, and you can access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Speak to the Storm

Perhaps today you find yourself in the midst of a great trial, and it seems like it's going to overwhelm you.  Perhaps it's financial, or emotion, or relational, or marital, or physical in nature.  You feel like this one could take you down and you are frightened.

Let me remind you of the time when the disciples of Jesus were in the boat on the sea and the storm came up, they were frightened, thinking they were going to perish. 

When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing!" He *said to them, "Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. (Mat 8:23-26)

You see, Jesus expected them to use their faith and rebuke the winds and sea to calm the storm like He did.  If they really knew who He was, and who was in the boat with them, they would have realized that nothing could stand against them, and no storm of any kind could overwhelm them.

The reason they were amazed is that they did not yet truly know who He was.  "The men were amazed, and said, 'What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'" (Mat 8:27)

Yet believers often act the same way.  We sometimes encounter great storms in life, and it’s tempting to become frightened in the midst of the storm.  We might even be tempted to pray, "Lord, don't you even care about us?  We're going to drown!"

But we need to keep in mind that if we truly have Jesus Christ living inside of us, then the One who calms the storm is with us and we don’t need to be afraid.  We need only have faith in Him and be steadfast, persevering in your faith. Speak to the storm!  Rebuke the winds and the sea in the name of Jesus Christ, and it will become perfectly calm. 

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "Speak to the Storm" painting © 2012 is by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's note:  I also recommend reading The Name of Jesus, How to Pray for the Devil, Supernatural Power for All Disciples, Loud Voices and Shouting in God's Kingdom, and Baptized with the Spirit. I invite you to visit the Home page for this blog, and you can also find my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Dangers of Disobedience

I'd like to talk to you about the dangers of disobedience.  Sometimes we need to be reminded of the very serious dangers of disobedience, in order to wake us up and get us to turn away from sin.  I'm not just talking about sins you consider serious.  Even the small sins are just as bad.  They are all serious.

So let's look at five examples in Scripture of those who disobeyed and what happened to them.

Naïve ones and Fools

Let's start with the naive ones and fools.

"How long, O naive ones, will you love being simple-minded? And scoffers delight themselves in scoffing And fools hate knowledge? "Turn to my reproof, Behold, I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you. "Because I called and you refused, I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention; And you neglected all my counsel And did not want my reproof; I will also laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your dread comes, When your dread comes like a storm And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. "Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; They will seek me diligently but they will not find me, Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of the LORD. "They would not accept my counsel, They spurned all my reproof. "So they shall eat of the fruit of their own way And be satiated with their own devices. "For the waywardness of the naive will kill them, And the complacency of fools will destroy them. But he who listens to me shall live securely And will be at ease from the dread of evil." (Pro 1:22-33)

Their sin:

• I called and you refused
• I stretched out my hand and no one paid attention
• You neglected all my counsel
• You did not want my reproof

The consequences:

• God says, "I will also laugh at your calamity."
• "I will mock when your dread comes"
• "They will call on me, but I will not answer"
• "They will seek me diligently but they will not find me"
• "They shall eat of the fruit of their own way"
• "They shall be satiated with their own devices"
• "The waywardness of the naive will kill them"
• "The complacency of fools will destroy them"

The Israelites
Now let's look at the nation of Israel.

"Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you; O Israel, if you would listen to Me! "Let there be no strange god among you; Nor shall you worship any foreign god. "I, the LORD, am your God, Who brought you up from the land of Egypt; Open your mouth wide and I will fill it. "But My people did not listen to My voice, And Israel did not obey Me. "So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in their own devices. (Psa 81:8-12)

"Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt, SAYING TO AARON, 'MAKE FOR US GODS WHO WILL GO BEFORE US; FOR THIS MOSES WHO LED US OUT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT--WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.' "At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. "But God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, 'IT WAS NOT TO ME THAT YOU OFFERED VICTIMS AND SACRIFICES FORTY YEARS IN THE WILDERNESS, WAS IT, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL? 'YOU ALSO TOOK ALONG THE TABERNACLE OF MOLOCH AND THE STAR OF THE GOD ROMPHA, THE IMAGES WHICH YOU MADE TO WORSHIP. I ALSO WILL REMOVE YOU BEYOND BABYLON.'  (Act 7:39-43)

Their sin:

• My people did not listen to My voice
• Israel did not obey Me
• Unwilling to be obedient to the Lord
• Demanded that Aaron make idols for them
• They made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol
• They worshipped a foreign god
• They were rejoicing in the works of their hands
• They offered human victims and sacrifices for forty years
• They took along the shrine of Molech and the star of the god of Rompha

The consequences:

• The Lord said, "I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk in their own devices."
• The Hebrew word for "gave over" is "shalach," which means "to send away, for, or out, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread, stretch forth (out)."
• God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven
• The Greek word for "delivered them up" is "paradidomi," meaning "to surrender, that is, yield up, intrust, transmit: - betray, bring forth, cast, commit, deliver (up), give (over, up), hazard, put in prison, recommend."

Atheists, Idolaters, and Immoral People
Next let's look at the atheists, idolaters and immoral people throughout the ages.

"For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them." (Rom 1:20-32)

Their sin:

• For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks,
• They became futile in their speculations
• They professed to be wise
• They exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures
• They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.

The consequences:

• Their foolish heart was darkened.
• They became fools
• God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.
• God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error.
• God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, evil, etc.

Adulterous Christian Man & Corinthian Church
Next let's look at the Corinthian Church and the immoral man in their midst.

"It is actually reported that there is immorality among you, and immorality of such a kind as does not exist even among the Gentiles, that someone has his father's wife. You have become arrogant and have not mourned instead, so that the one who had done this deed would be removed from your midst. For I, on my part, though absent in body but present in spirit, have already judged him who has so committed this, as though I were present. In the name of our Lord Jesus, when you are assembled, and I with you in spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus, I have decided to deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."  (1Co 5:1-5)

Their sin:

• He had his father's wife (immorality)
• The Church became arrogant and did not mourn over this sin
• They did not remove this adulterer from their midst

The consequences:

• Paul said, "I have decided to deliver (give over) such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."

Hymenaeus and Alexander
Lastly, let's look at Hymenaeus and Alexander.

"This command I entrust to you, Timothy, my son, in accordance with the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you fight the good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme." (1Ti 1:18-20)

Their sin:

• They did not fight the good fight against evil
• They did not keep the faith
• They rejected a good conscience 
• They blasphemed

The consequences:

• They suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith
• Paul said, "Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan, so that they will be taught not to blaspheme."

Putting it All Together
In each of these biblical examples, you can see the same pattern.  Each time people neglected God's counsel and rejected His reproof, they ate the fruit of their own ways, and became satiated with their own devices. They called on the Lord for help, but He would not answer. They sought Him diligently but they did not find Him. Their own waywardness killed them, and their own complacency destroyed them.

The Israelites did not listen to the Lord's voice.  They did not obey Him.  In fact, they were unwilling to be obedient to the Lord. They demanded that Aaron make idols for them. They worshiped a foreign god, and rejoiced in the works of their hands. They offered up human sacrifices to idols.   So God gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, to walk in their own devices. God turned away and delivered them up to serve the sun, moon, and stars.

All mankind has been given the opportunity to know God.  His fingerprints are all over everything in creation.  But even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks. They became futile in their speculations. They professed to be wise. They exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.  Their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts.

Whenever people do this, their foolish heart are darkened, and they become fools. God gives them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.  God gives them over to degrading passions; and they receive in their own persons the due penalty of their error.  God gives them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, evil, etc.

Do you see how the Lord gives people over to their own sin?  He gives them over to evil, since they prefer that over Him.  This is what Paul did with the immoral brother in the Corinthian Church, who had his father's wife.  Since the Church became arrogant and did not mourn over this sin, and did not remove this adulterer from their midst, Paul took action.  He administered discipline, by delivering the immoral man to Satan for the destruction of his flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.

Paul did the same thing with Hymenaeus and Alexander, who had professed faith in Christ at one time.  They did not fight the good fight against evil, and did not keep the faith.  Instead they rejected a good conscience, and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith.  So Paul handed them over to Satan, so that they would be taught not to blaspheme. 

The pattern in the same throughout all of Scripture, both Old and New Testaments.  If you refuse to listen to the Lord's voice, look out!  He uses many means to speak, including the general revelation of Himself in His creation, as well as the specific revelation of His will in His Word -- the Holy Bible. He has revealed his love for you through the death of His Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross for you.  He will use His people to speak to you, too.  He will speak to your conscience, and let you know that what you're doing is wrong.  It will bother you.

But if you refuse His voice when He speaks, and reject His counsel, He will eventually give you over to the thing you really want most.  He'll let you have it, and your mind will become darkened.  It's a type of judgment.  He'll let satan and the demons have their way with you, since you preferred their presence to the presence of the Lord. Your conscience will no longer work properly.  And you will end up shipwrecking your faith.  Eventually, if you do not turn from your sin, it will destroy you.  Those who die in this state end up in hell for eternity.

My friend, I don't want this to happen to you.  If that's what you've been doing, turn from your sin today!  The Lord does not want you to perish.  He loves you, and wants you to be with Him in heaven for eternity.  But if you continue on your way, then you forfeit that gift.  Turn back to Him today, before it's too late, and cry out with tears of repentance.  You will find Him, if you search for Him with all your heart.  He will forgive you, if you sincerely repent; and sincere repentance will be evidenced by the fruits of repentance.

I hope this lesson has helped you to understand the ways of the Lord better, and especially the dangers of disobedience.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "Your Move" painting © 2012 Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist.

Author's Note: You may also want to see my other blogs, Sin and Consequence,  Is Obedience Optional?,Avoid Becoming a Corrupted Christian,  Demonology 101, Demonology 201 and Demonology 301. I invite you to visit the Home page for this blog, and you can also find my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.