In this life, God gives us warning and caution signs along the way through His Word, through other believers, and really however He so chooses. I mean, He even spoke to Balaam the prophet through a donkey in the Old Testament.
He speaks and warns, but are we listening? Just as I really didn't grasp that there was road construction until I saw the man with the stop sign, my fear is that many are ignoring God's warning signs and won't realize it until it is too late.
Years ago, we were on the beach with family and we could see dark clouds looming overhead, we could also hear loud thunder in the distance. As we packed up our things, I was amazed at the people that continued to lie on the beach as if no storm was approaching.
Speaking of storms, I dreamed recently about an awful storm with loud thunder and a rough sea, actually there were tsunamis. The people in my dream were afraid, but continued to watch to see what was happening. Then, in my dream, the sea parted and at the end of the path, I could see a new Earth and a Man in bright white and purple light. In my dream, I knew it was my Savior! I knew it was Jesus, then I heard beautiful music playing and I knew I was about to see Him face to face. I was ecstatic, but when I turned to look around, those same people that had watched the storm were hiding and afraid and ashamed at Jesus' appearance.
At 3:30 that morning I woke up excited but I also wept because I know there are so many that are not ready to see our beautiful Savior face to face, in fact it is a fearful thing to them.
I just finished reading through the Bible, (it took me 3 years, but there are so many gems to dig up and meditate on). Verse 7 of Revelation chapter 19 says:
"Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."
I love what Beth Moore has to say about this verse:
"Notice the qualifier of the bride's actions: she has made herself ready. Past tense. We cannot make ourselves ready the moment we see Christ any more than a woman can be prepared to meet her groom at the altar with three minutes notice. I want to be ready. Don't you? I don't want to be caught with spiritual curlers in my hair."
There are people all around us who are not ready, what are we doing to upbuild His kingdom? I cried as I read chapter 20 of Revelation. There is a judgment day coming. Those that will be cast into the lake of fire will stand before God Almighty. They will get a glimpse of His magnificent face, the One who pursued them, the One who loves them relentlessly, the One who died so they could have abundant life in Him. A glimpse is all they will get before they are eternally separated from Him.
Ezekiel 33 proclaims that we are watchmen. We are to share truth and warn others in love.
"But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’
“So you, son of man: I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; therefore you shall hear a word from My mouth and warn them for Me. When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you shall surely die!’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at your hand. Nevertheless if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered your soul.
“Therefore you, O son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘Thus you say, “If our transgressions and our sins lie upon us, and we pine away in them, how can we then live?”’ Say to them: ‘As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn, turn from your evil ways! For why should you die, O house of Israel?"
Ezekiel 33:6-11
God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that they would turn to Him and truly live. He is so patient, yet He is coming. In fact, He says: "Behold I am coming quickly!"
Are we ready to meet our Bridegroom? And if we are, are we building up His kingdom by warning others and sharing His truth and love with them?
