THE CONSEQUENCE FOR REBELLION IS GOD’S JUDGMENT! (Those claiming to be wise are really fools!)
THE CONSEQUENCE FOR REBELLION IS GOD’S JUDGMENT! (Those claiming to be wise are really fools!)
And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel. And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. And they abandoned the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the LORD to anger. They abandoned the LORD and served the Baals and the Ashtaroth. So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he gave them over to plunderers, who plundered them. And he sold them into the hand of their surrounding enemies, so that they could no longer withstand their enemies. —Judges 2:10-14
When a nation does not want to follow the Lord, but look to other “gods” instead, then He will let them go, give them over and let them experience the consequences of their decisions. This is what happened to Israel again and again. But the principle can surely apply to other nations as well. The Lord God Almighty is angry when people reject Him and His ways and, in His timing, will act according to His purposes.
Sometimes the Lord God Almighty gives the rebellious over to their enemies. At other times He just gives people over to their own lustful desires to destroy themselves.
The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural sexual relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed shameful acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their error. Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they have no understanding, no fidelity, no love, no mercy. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them. —Romans 1:18-32
Whether Israel, Rome, the United States or any other country— to reject the Lord is to suffer the consequences now and forever! Brothers and sisters, fellow followers of Jesus, our job description does not change. As followers of Jesus were faithful in Rome, so we are to be faithful in whatever country we live. Share the good news of Jesus. He is the only Hope for those in this world. Let us be like Paul and “When I am with those who are weak, I share their weakness, for I want to bring the weak to Christ. Yes, I try to find common ground with everyone, doing everything I can to save some” (I Corinthians 9:22). May we have the same passion and attitude as Paul. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYZw0dfLmLk Yes, Dear Father, may this be so by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son Jesus and may this be all for Your Honor and Glory! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=On-whMoulOM