Are You Obedient to God's Word or Will You Turn Back?

Jesus was talking to His disciples in the last week of His earthly ministry days before His final ride final into Jerusalem. He was talking to them about the things that would occur prior to His next return to earth and one of the things He said was:

"Remember Lot’s wife!" -Luke 17:32 (KJV)

But why would He say this? What's the significance? Lot lived at the time of Abraham approx. 2000 years before Jesus echoed these words.

First of all, the Lord God Almighty knows our hearts, know our motives, knows our desires and knows exactly where we are at. He likewise knew this about His disciples and warned them sternly. Is His warning no less applicable to us today?

The story of Lot is indeed concerning – one filled with many why's. Please take a moment to read it from your Bible; it's found in Gen 19:1-38. Clearly Lot and his family were challenged in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and the reason of why he stayed there and and suffered torment day by day (2 Pet 2:8) is confusing and of course controversial. Nevertheless, he continued to live righteously amidst that immoral and wicked society. Our nation is becoming more and more identical to and even worse than the cities of the plain – this Sodom and Gomorrah and this is disturbing and alarming in light of the Lord's soon return.

The Lord dispatched his angels to Sodom and Gomorrah to examine just what was going on there – why the outcry to Him was so bad and the sin so great. They observed the evil and told Lot and his family to get out quick and head to the mountains. In fact, Lot dragged his feet and had to be pulled out of town by the angels of the Lord. Now that is significant but why? Was he so attached to his wealth, his house, belongings, friends or maybe his two [potential] sons-in-law who yet mocked him when he told him what was to come? We don't know exactly but his circumstances of attraction to hesitate to depart are pertinent for us today. Then there's the warning from the Lord concerning Lot and his family – "Remember Lot's wife!". What do you think He meant by this and how are you and I affected by it in our time?

They were strictly warned not to look back and to flee for their lives or else they would be destroyed, consumed by the judgment of God. The sad thing is that Lot's wife did look back for whatever reason – concern over her city, goods, friends, wealth, etc. Maybe she thought just a glimpse of a look perhaps they wouldn't notice. Oh but they did! She disobeyed and was destroyed.

Jesus told His disciples and us in the context of Luke 17 that when the time of His return came, when the time of judgment was to come they were to flee fast! There would be no time to gather up laptops, tablets, cell phones, suitcases or anything else. They were to get out of town quickly. Here is where the "tire hits the road for us". Are you walking closely with the Lord right now? Are you focusing on Him and obeyed what He says to you through His word – the Bible? Are you ready to meet the Lord if your name was called into eternity today? Are your possessions more important than being ready and willing sacrifice and go with the Lord in any area of your life or will you look back? Hoping it is not so. Will you seek your stuff and relationships more than you seek the Lord? Are you living your Christian life as a ruse unto the Lord? Are you living a fake Christianity just so you fit in at church and hope people like you, etc? If so, it's definitely time to look in the mirror and come clean before the Lord in truth and honesty.

These are critical questions for our Christian walk – for all of us! That is one of the reasons the Lord says that we must examine ourselves [daily] to see if we are in the faith. We are to "test" ourselves to recognize if Christ is in us – 2 Cor 13:5. Did you get this? Who preaches this today? And do you do it?

So in conclusion, the big question here is what is your trust in? Who is your faith in?  What is your focus? Are you ready for tough days ahead not relying on your things or the security of your family and friends but on your hope, faith, trust, dependence and your personal relationship with Jesus Christ? These are some right now 2016 questions to help you re-establish, rebuild or reignite your faith if you've drifted or steered off course. Please take these things to heart. Mull them over in your soul. Reflect on them often. And most of all remember Lot's wife's mistakes and what made her turn back and choose her unfortunate destiny in eternity. Don't make the same mistake!

Amen.

"Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:" -Heb 12:25-26 (KJV)

-BPWatcher, Internet Preacher and Bible Prophecy Watchman

THE KING IS COMING – ARE YOU READY!