Creation Groans!

(Romans 8:19) “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.”

“As the saints are suffering for it, so they are waiting for it. Heaven is therefore sure; for God by his Spirit would not raise and encourage those hopes only to defeat and disappoint them. He will establish that word unto his servants on which he has caused them to hope.” (Matthew Henry)

As I listened to the tone of God through creation last night, the thunder and the intensity of the rain had a harsh pitch to it. I got the feeling that although He is patient, there is a day coming when He will once again say enough is enough, just like He did in the Days of Noah. I suppose we could dismiss that possibility as, yes I believed that happen then, but now God bringing judgment while I am around, get real! We have a tendency to protect ourselves with denial and our reasoning goes something like this, it happened to him (Noah) and that we can accept, but we reason as if it could never happen to me, until it does! Just as there were people alive in the days of Noah, they too had never seen rain and mocked the building of the “Ark”, but they all died in the flood ignoring the voice of God through Noah and his three sons. The great flood has come and gone, never to be repeated; “and I, behold, I do bring the flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is in the earth shall die.” (Genesis 6:17)

Many propagate that it was an ice age millions of years ago that destroyed the world, the bible makes no mention of that but clearly spells out that just over six thousand years ago God did destroy the earth and all that lived on it; except Noah, his three sons and their wives. Why did He do this? The answer is very clearly spelt out; - “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the LORD said, "I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them. But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.” (Genesis 6:5-8)

Amazingly and thankfully Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord, if not that would have been the end of creation as we know it, maybe we would not have had to deal with this ongoing battle of wanting to do what is right, but often floundering with our attempts. Although we have received the Spirit of Adoption whereby we can cry “Abba Father” we still make so many blunders with our lives. Having said that, we still have been singled out to find grace in time of need, the warning signs are now becoming more and more evident as we look around us, and if you listen a little closer you would have heard His voice through the rain and the thunder last night.

There was a time for the children of Israel after their wilderness experience, once they had reached the Promised Land and witnessed the many miracles that God had performed before their eyes. It was at this time that Joshua posed a question to them, although they had been witness to all of God’s blessings, he never assumed that they were on God’s side. He asks then to make a choice: “And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."(Joshua 24:15)

I believe we are entering that time in history once again where judgement must begin with the household of God. It is going to get tougher in all spheres of life, just like Noah had to endure the flood although he was safe in his ark, he nevertheless saw the rain fall and people drown. Some say we will be taken before any hardship confronts the children of God. The rapture will catch us up into the air before “the birth pangs” begin, I do not see that clearly in scripture. What I do see, is that all of God’s children that He acknowledges and mentions throughout scripture without exception suffered hardships, why will it be any different for us? The rapture will be one of the greatness acts of God’s proclamations to those on earth, and there will be a great display on show prior to the His main feature, when the Lord Jesus’ returns on the clouds. Time does not permit us to explore that thought further as there are many different views to that event.

Nevertheless we must not be caught off guard, which is why we need to choose whom we will serve, if it be the New Age god, Mohammed, Buddha, Krishna, pagan gods and the like, even any religion that has Christian principles but not sound doctrine and accurate application to it. Just as God established His covenant with Noah, He now poses a question to us all and asks us; “choose this day who you will serve!”

Let us consider a war, two countries and sometime even more pick up arms against each other until there is a victor. They actually wear different uniforms so that they can easily differentiate between themselves and the enemy.

I have made my choice and I now publicly declare to whomever that I serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and that Jesus Christ the Lord, the son of David, the son of Abraham after the flesh is my God. Although He was a man after the flesh He was also the Son of God who left the portals of heaven to become a man, where he lived here for about 33 years without sin, yes that is exactly what I am saying and what the bible teachers, that He was without sin. He then chose to die for sinners so that they could go free. As we are all sinners and guilty of sin, without His covering we will end up in hell, the battle is about to heat up and we must all choose a side. I have chosen Him because He first chose me, I can see because it was God who gave me eyes to see. And now because I can see and I am reminded now of all I have been through, even when I was unfaithful, He remained faithful. I could never repay my great Saviour for the gift He has given me, but this I will say, by His grace and because of His mercy I pledge my allegiance to Him, I have chosen and I choose Jesus Christ the Lord my King. If that requires my life, then so be it! What is your choice? Whom will you serve and what uniform will you wear? There will be spies in the camp, those who wear His uniform but who have a hidden agenda, but just like Judas they will eventually be exposed!

Seek out grace, it is time for some serious training, basic training is to prepare a solider for what is to come, I truly believe that creation groans now louder than ever before, will we be ready? “For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.” (Romans 8:19)

Yes all of God’s children will eventually be presented blameless on the other side, but we must sit up and take note of the signs, the warnings we must be on the lookout for and in the context of what is now beginning to unfold like never before; “There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven. But before all this they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors for my name's sake. This will be your opportunity to bear witness. (Luke 21:11-13)

Stephen was the first of the martyrs but many have followed in his footsteps, maybe we have also been born for the exact same purpose, and then again maybe not! Whatever our outcome, we have been afforded the opportunity to pledge our allegiance to our King, regardless of the outcome here on earth, we all (those who have received His Spirit) have an opportunity to glorify His name, may God give us the grace and the wherewithal to stand for Him in these now difficult times ahead. The throne of grace is available for all His children, but we are taught that we must approach it with boldness, so that we may overcome when challenged. May we remember to do exactly that!

Signing off

Tyrone

we know that God has promised that He will not destroy the earth again with water.