Frailties

“Nevertheless man, though precious, does not remain; he is like the animals that perish. This way of theirs is their folly; yet those who follow delight in their sayings. Selah.  Like sheep they are appointed to the grave; death shall shepherd them, and the upright shall have the rule over them in the morning; their form is consumed; Sheol is their home.”  Psalms 49:12-14

 

The situation for many people in Puerto Rico is dire, but as help slowly pours in, it allows us to reflect upon the frailties of mankind.  In a modern day age, one would presume that the seemingly all powerful governments, particularly the United States government, would be most able to provide swift and abundant aid to a natural disaster in one of our held territories.  While aid is certainly pouring in, the amount of destruction that hurricane Maria caused makes this task a slow and for some a deadly game of trying to wait for help to arrive.

 

When the infrastructure of an area is all but destroyed, roads are washed away and people are left in areas that are no longer accessible by road, far from the major cities, the truth of the matter becomes known to those who experience such disasters first hand.  Mankind is not able to immediately offer assistance to those who are in need, yet cutoff from the rest of the world.  People begin dying, the suffering for some surpasses what their families have seen throughout many generations.  The frailties of our manmade systems of electricity, food, water, cellular and phone service, roads and medical care become exposed. 

 

Many atrocities have affected people around the world over the years.  In more recent times world war has affected many inhabitants of Europe, engineered coups have wiped out millions and millions of lives in both China and Russia, a tsunami killed over two hundred thousand, horrific earthquakes and nuclear meltdowns, massive floods, upheavals in wars throughout Africa, as well as starvation, just to name a few.  Looking back further into history one could study the Roman Catholic’s torturous programs that left millions dead, the plague and indeed the Flood that wiped out all but eight souls (1st Peter 3:20). 

 

The Bible tells us of a time coming that will be like no other, a time were if the days were not shortened, mankind would cease to exist.

 

“For then there will be great affliction, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be kept safe alive; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.  Then if anyone says to you, Look, here is the Christ; or, There; do not believe it.  For false christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.  Behold, I have told you beforehand.  Therefore if they say to you, Behold, He is in the desert, do not go out; or, Behold, He is in the inner rooms, do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes out of the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.”  Matthew 24:21-27

 

This time, called the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7), but better known as the Tribulation is a time of many horrific events, events so horrific that modern man has nothing to compare them to.  Yet during all of these events that will unfold after the Rapture takes place, God’s mercy will extend to those who live on the Earth, that He Created, during that time period.  Indeed, if one ponders, one can clearly see God’s great hand of redemption during that time period, as He has Two Witnesses (Rev. 11:3) and 144,000 sealed (Rev. 7:4), as well as angels (Rev. 14:6-12), who proclaim to mankind to repent and accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.  Though a world will be experiencing the Judgments of the Most High God, His mercy to those who are willing to humble themselves, is readily available (Rev. 14:13). 

 

If mankind is unable to effectively deal with a loss of infrastructure in a timely manner, in such as place as Puerto Rico, just how well will they deal with events that could unfold even prior to those events that are foretold in the Holy Scriptures.  If war were to break out, with nuclear missiles being exchanged, just who would solve these problems?  If the United States were to see a super EMP weapon deployed against us, who could immediately begin fixing the situation?  Likely, as the television series Jericho played out years ago, our frailties would be fully exposed, we would be left to fend for ourselves or to simply perish from the land of the living.

 

In all of America’s history, though we have had our disasters and wars, we have yet to experience any sort of major, major catastrophic conditions on our soil.  During that time many people have come and gone.  There are those who were well known and those who were not known, both of which has passed from this life to the grave.

 

“The words of the preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem:  Vanity of vanities, says the preacher, vanity of vanities! All is vanity.  What is the profit to a man in all his labor which he labors under the sun?  A generation passes away, and a generation comes; but the earth stands perpetually.  The sun also rises, and the sun goes down, panting in a hurry to its place where it rises again.  The wind goes toward the south, and it turns around to the north; it whirls around continually; and the wind returns according to its circuits.  All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; to the place from where the rivers come, there they return again.  All things are full of labor; man is not able to utter it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor the ear filled with hearing.  That which has been is that which shall be; and that which has been done is that which shall be done; and there is nothing new under the sun.  Is there a thing of which it may be said, See, this is new? It has already been in the days of antiquity, which were before us.  There is no remembrance of former things, and also no remembrance of following things of what will be; nor a remembrance of those things by those who follow afterwards.”  Ecclesiastes 1:1-11

 

“For the living know that they shall die; but the dead do not know anything, nor do they have any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten.”  Ecclesiastes 9:5

 

“For that which happens to the sons of men also happens to beasts, even one thing happens to them. As this one dies, so that one dies; yea, they all have one breath; so that a man has no advantage over a beast; for all is vanity.”  Ecclesiastes 3:19

 

“As the storm passes, so the wicked is no more; but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.”  Proverbs 10:25

 

Each individual will stand before their Creator (Rom. 14:12), who will Judge with equity amongst all people (Ps. 98:9).  There the true frailty of mankind will be exposed, our eternal destinations having been sealed with our last breaths.  Mankind is truly precious in the eyes of our Maker (Ps. 49:12), yet in the eyes of the world we don’t seem to understand the dire situation that all men are lost and without repenting and believing into Jesus Christ that the eternal home will be Hell. 

 

“And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heavens fled away. And there was found no place for them.  And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God. And books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, out of the things which were written in the books.  And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one, according to their works.  And Death and Hades were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death.  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of Fire.”  Revelation 20:11-15

 

“And many of those sleeping in the earth’s dust shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to reproach and everlasting abhorrence.”  Daniel 12:2

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to every person, because everyone sinned.”  Romans 5:12

 

 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”  Romans 6:23

 

 “Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was accounted to him, but also for us, to whom it shall be accounted, believing in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our trespasses, and was raised for our justification.”  Romans 4:23-25

 

“For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.”  2nd Corinthians 7:10

 

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”  2nd Corinthians 5:17

 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that everyone believing into Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”  John 3:16-17

 

“But what does it say? The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart (that is, the Word of Faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”  Romans 10:8-9

 

“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God, to those believing into His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”  John 1:12-13

 

“For the love of Christ holds us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should no longer live unto themselves, but unto Him who died for them and rose again.”  2nd Corinthians 5:14-15

 

“He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord was lying.”  Matthew 28:6

 

“Jesus said to him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”  John 14:6

 

“Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has established a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has appointed. He has given assurance of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”  Acts 17:30-31

 

Truly the wise will ponder their ways and seek Salvation before it is too late.  For without Jesus Christ as your Savior, the situation in Puerto Rico or anywhere else in the world where tragedies of horrific magnitude are taking place, is simply no comparison.  In these places, while one hopes and wait for help before taking their last breath, time could be had, as they are dying, to fully seek (Jer. 29:13) after their Creator and accept the free gift of Salvation from God Almighty (Eph. 2:8), through Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12). 

 

“For this let everyone who is godly pray unto You, in a time when You may be found; surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come near him.”  Psalms 32:6

 

Consider it carefully, ponder your ways, for without Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are lost.  Understand your frail condition and repent before it is too late. 

 

“Man is like a breath; his days are like a shadow that vanishes.”  Psalms 144:4

 

“Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is for every man.  For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil.”  Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

 

“There is a way which seems right to a man, but the end of it is the ways of death.”  Proverbs 14:12

 

Amen!