Alarm Bells

“The burden against the Valley of Vision. What ails you now, that you have gone up to the housetops?  The noisy city, the joyous city, is filled with turbulence. Your slain ones are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.  All your rulers have fled together; they have been captured without the bow; all who are found in you have been captured together; they have fled from afar.  Therefore I said, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly; do not insist on comforting me because of the devastation of the daughter of my people.  For it is a day of trouble, and of trampling down, and of perplexity by Jehovah of Hosts in the Valley of Vision; of breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.  And Elam carried the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.  And it shall come to pass that your choicest valleys shall be full of chariots; and the horsemen shall surely be set in array at the gate.  And he uncovered Judah‘s covering, and you looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest.  You have also seen the breaks in the city of David, that they are many; and you gathered the waters of the lower pool.  And you have counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you have broken down the houses to fortify the wall.  You also made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool; but you have not looked to its Maker, nor had regard for Him who formed it long ago.  And in that day Jehovah of Hosts called for weeping and mourning, and for baldness, and for girding with sackcloth.  But behold, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine, saying, Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”  Isaiah 22:1-13

 

The other day I was sitting in a busy restaurant in Kalispell, Montana, with my family, awaiting the lunch we ordered to be brought to the table.  Looking around, as people were busily chatting with others, the noise somewhat deafening, I was reminded of the sadness of just how godless of a society we have become.  All around people were self consumed, oblivious to the reality of how our world is quickly being prepared for the “time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer. 30:7), better known as the Tribulation.

 

Afterwards we went to Walmart where people were scurrying around, back and forth, slowly making their way to the long holiday lines, while seemingly unaware of the changes in the world around them.  Our society, long having abandoned the Way of Life (John 14:6), continuing on in their daily routines, on a path that is not good, one that has denied their Creator.

 

“God looked down from Heaven upon the children of mankind to see if any was circumspect, seeking God.  Every one of them has turned back; they have all together become corrupt; not one is doing good, no, not even one.”  Psalms 53:2-3

 

If we were to compare the general acceptance of moral standards by our society, verses God’s Word, we would see that we are far off of the mark.  When we take a look at what goes on in this country (and indeed in the world) regarding our apostate churches, LGBT agendas, crime, covetousness, drunkenness, drug usage, wickedness and every other abominable thing that could be imagined, things that happen on a daily basis, to the point that no one even takes to heart the condition of the sins of this nation, then alarm bells should be going off.

 

Alarms are put in place in buildings all throughout the world.  If your family happened to be sleeping and a fire alarm went off, it would provide a warning and a chance to escape the horrors of being consumed in a fire.  Such alarms are in place in hospitals, schools and other businesses throughout the world, indeed in most places they are required to be. 

 

In tornado alley, the constant siren of a tornado alarm gives people time to take shelter before the storm hits.  In the costal states that deal with hurricanes, there are emergency messages displayed or played on air.  In other cities around the world, such as Mexico City, there are alarms for earthquakes, one which recently went off and probably saved scores of lives.  Many cities around the world have alarms for incoming missiles or other major catastrophes. 

 

Certainly from time to time there are false alarms.  There are instances were a fire alarm goes off and there is no fire.  Other times an earthquake alarm could go off, but the earthquake is simply a minor tremor.  Oftentimes a tornado alarm is given, but no tornado is ever seen or heard by those who react to it.  Even hurricanes often dissipate in strength and cause minor damage in comparison to their original capability.  Yet in each of these cases, when the alarm is not a false warning, those who listen and adheed to the alarm’s warning are thankful, oftentimes the alarm has saved their lives and the lives of their family members. 

 

Who goes and plans a vacation to Miami, when a Category 5 hurricane warning is in effect?  Who takes and tells the local school baseball team to begin the game when lightning is striking in the near distance?  Who hears a fire alarm in the middle of the night and simply takes out the battery, going back to sleep?  So then, who hears the Word of God read from the pulpit and ignores His warnings?!  Would anyone hear an air raid siren and send their children out to play?

 

Do we not warn children to avoid a hot stove?  Are not people crossing a street to check to make sure it is first safe to do so?  Do we jump into a lake to swim without knowing how to swim or having a life preserver?  Why then to we forsake God’s Word, no longer believing what He has told us?  What we need to have are alarm bells going off in every church, in every home across this once great nation, knowing that eventually time will run out!!

 

“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”  Jeremiah 8:20

 

The alarm should warn that eventually there will come a time when those who are not Saved will be Left Behind.  Such an alarmingly message should be proclaimed from the mountaintops!  From coast to coast, people should dust off their bibles that are somewhere in their homes and read the Word.  Christians should be knocking on the doors of their neighbors, telling them about the Gospel.  A call for repentance and believing into Jesus Christ, should be proclaimed boldly from every pulpit in this land!  The seriousness of the situation could not even begin to be understated.

 

We have a land full of people and indeed around the world, of those who are in ignorance of the things of God.  We have those who proclaim to believe in Him, yet they DO NOT believe what the Holy Scriptures say.  Certainly God provided a solution to sin, through His Son Jesus, yet people ignore His Word wholeheartedly.  In fact they do just the opposite of seeking Him, seeking the things of this world.

 

“For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”  Matthew 16:26

 

But you, dear reader, understand that it should not be like this.  We might watch as the mad throngs of people continue on the broad path that leads to destruction, but Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins (1st Peter 3:18) on the Cross (Gal. 3:13) and through Him we can have eternal life (1st John 5:11-12), we can inherit Salvation (Heb. 5:9), indeed we can be on the narrow and winding path which leads to life.  So consider and consider carefully, do you want to continue on being part of the mad throngs or do you want to diligently seek God, while He may still be found.

 

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many entering in through it.  Because narrow is the gate and distressing is the way which leads unto life, and there are few who find it.”  Matthew 7:13-14

 

“Seek Jehovah while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to Jehovah, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.  For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, says Jehovah.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.”  Isaiah 55:6-9

 

“For He says: In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”  2nd Corinthians 6:2

 

Remember…

 

“So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who leads the whole world astray; he was cast out onto the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.”  Revelation 12:9

 

“And the devil, who led them astray, was cast into the Lake of Fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.  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 20:10-15

 

Amen!