Have you ever thought like this: If there really is a God in Heaven why do wicked people get off with so much?
1*.
This true story of a king who did whatever he liked because he was sure he could get away with it should help us to understand this better.
John had courageously spoken out against this evil king's lifestyle, but he was arrested and locked away until the king ordered that his head be cut off! The wicked king was getting off with murder, as well as the many other evil things he was doing!
2*.
But this evil king Herod had not silenced the voice that condemned him. Soon a greater preacher was going around speaking out against sin and wickedness, and sending out others to go "from village to village, preaching the Gospel and healing people everywhere."
"Herod heard about all that was going on. And he was perplexed, because some were saying that John had been raised from the dead.. But Herod said, ‘I beheaded John. Who then is this I hear such things about?'"
3*.
Sometime later, "when Herod saw Jesus he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see Him… He plied Him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer."
4*.
God had earlier shown His great kindness to Herod. He had sent John the Baptist to warn him to turn from his sinful ways and seek forgiveness through the wonderful Messiah God had sent. John had preached that only Jesus, "the Lamb of God", could take away the sin of the world.
5*.
Herod had made his choice; he had not wanted to believe in Jesus to turn him from his sinful ways so he had just silenced John!
God's Spirit does "not contend with man forever".
6*.
By the time Herod met with Jesus God had given up on offering him kindness!
7*.
God had nothing more to say to him. He was doomed to God's awful silence - until the day of judgment!!
8*.
God tells us plainly, "If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sin is left, only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire."
9*.
Today God has been pleased to give you this further warning. Remember, all sin must be punished, and no one but Jesus, who took the punishment for your sin, can save you from the punishment you deserve.
10*.
Today you can easily choose to ignore the preacher, and just reject God's word, and go on sinning. You might choose instead to believe those who say that some sacrament or religious duty will cover up or cancel out your guilt! But, be warned, you will have to be rejected by God, as king Herod was, for ignoring God's message!
Do you really want to insult God's offer of kindness and have Him to give up on you too? Do you really want to know God's awful silence from now UNTIL THE DAY OF JUDGMENT WHEN YOU WOULD HEAR HIM ORDER YOU FROM HIS PRESENCE FOREVER?
8*.
Remember, "it is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."
9*.
Please don't foolishly try to silence God's message to you today, as Herod did for the last time in this story from Luke chapter 9, verses 6-9.
Bye for now,
John Nixon, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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Footnotes. Bible quotations from N.I.V.
1 See Psalm 73:1-17.
2 See Matthew 14:3-12.
3 Luke 9:6-9.
4 Luke 23:8-9.
5 See John 1:29.
6 Genesis 6:3.
7 See Romans 1:24, 26, 28.
8 See Matthew 25:41.
9 See Hebrews 10:26-27, 31.
10 See Romans 3:21-26. 2nd Corinthians 5:17-21.
