Monday, 3/23/20 – Pressing on…

Shouting above the din…

I’ve got to say a big public Kudos to Don Longworth for wonderfully pulling together the first interactive online Sunday service of Lincoln Baptist Church. Hats off also to Don’s wife Erin for her assistance and to Becka and Gerry for their remote connection and ministry. The Lord is good and taking good care of His people.

Elder Don shared with us from Isaiah 30, in particular from verse 15,

“This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it.’”

I touched on the first part of this passage last Thursday, but it’s that last line that is so chilling “but you would have none of it.” It reminds me of Hoses 4:17 where we read “Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone.” I remember Billy Graham once preached on this passage. I can hear his firm, resonating voice now, see his penetrating  unwavering eyes, “…leave him alone!”

The Lord had plead long and hard with His people, but still they shunned Him. “The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer,” He spoke through the prophet, “How then can the Lord pasture them like lambs in a meadow?” (v. 16). Then the acknowledgement that “Ephraim is joined to idols…” That word “joined” means “to be united, coupled together, to make an alliance with.” In other words Ephraim had made its decision, the people had turned from God and locked them selves in with sin. “Leave him alone!”

Our world should thank God Almighty that He has not yet “left us alone.” He is shaking the world once more to get us to turn to Him. God’s people know this. Jesus told us this was all coming… like pains of labour of a pregnant woman!

“All these are the beginning of birth pains,” said Jesus (Matt. 24:8; Mark 13:8). “…destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman,” wrote Paul (1 Thess. 5:13). “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” (Rom. 8:22)

I do not know if this is that final hour, that hour which births the eternal kingdom. It may well be, or there may be more intense spasms yet to come. Only God the Father knows.

But I do know God is shaking our planet right now, or as Elder Don said, “God is shouting!” He is trying to get our attention above the din of our sin.

He’s doing this because He loves us. Sin leads one to destruction. The only way to escape it is to turn around. Leave the sin… turn to Him. You know you must leave it one day, for your flesh will most certainly one day die. Leave it now. Run to Him. Good things await you… a warm bed, a loving Father, eternal peace. “In repentance and rest is your salvation.”

More tomorrow…

To see and hear Elder Don’s Sunday message, go to the Facebook page of Lincoln Baptist Church… look under Videos for the March 22 upload.