Is There A Point of No Return? Part 2

"Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.  Say to those with anxious heart, Take courage, fear not.  Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come.  But He will save you.  The eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. ...And he ransomed of the Lord will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion" (Isaiah 35: 3-5/10a).

Hey Gang:  If you missed reading the last morning message from Gramps, you need to go back and read Dr. Reagan's first four points pertaining to "There is a point of No Return".    Before getting into the final three points,  I want to challenge you to consider the amazing parallels of Netanyahu's (Prime minister of Israel) coming speech to our Congress and Purim found in the Book of Esther.  If you are not familiar with the story of Esther's laying her life on the line to save her people, you might want to spend a half hour reading the entire book.  I does have great significance for what is happening in our world today.

I do not believe it is an insignificant point to note that his speech to the combined Houses occurs two days before Purim (which actually starts the evening of March 4).  The importance and symbolism of the address is astounding - affirming the Jewish Nation's continued survival on the day before they celebrate the victory over their ancient Persian foe now called Iran.  It is God's amazing timing!  As I have watched and listened to the rhetoric surrounding Netanyahu's pending speech, the words of Jesus also continued to bang around in my head: "I do not want you to be unaware of what is going on around you".  I think He might rephrase that today to say, "Get your head out of the sand, Look around you, “look up for your redemption draws very near"

Which leads me into Dr. Reagan's point five: "God holds nations in contempt".  But did He no create the nations and define their boundaries? Does He not determine when they will come on the scene and vanish from the scene?  Does He not have a purpose for each? And does He not bless and curse each in accordance with their obedience to Him and their treatment of the Jewish people?   Why then does He hold them in contempt?  Isaiah 40, a wonderfully-powerful chapter gives us the answer: “They were disobedient filled with pride and rebellion and they choose to serve hand-made idols rather that the living God.  

Dr. Reagan's point six: ” God forgives and blesses a nation when its people repent."  The only thing that touches God's heart more than faith is repentance.  Nineveh had been judged and was found wanting and was at the edge of the cliff when He brought a rebellious prophet on the scene to warn them that God's patience had run out.  O, Lord how we need a Jonah to stand on the mountain top and warn this once great nation that Your patience is running out.

And point seven:  “God destroys a nation when its rebellion becomes entrenched, reaching a point of no return.”  But, as we search the Scriptures, we find that God does not just suddenly pull the string and zap a nation.  He is much too fair and polite to do that that.  First, He sends His prophets to warn the nation that they best examine their hearts and repent.  A message He also sends to every person who has chosen the "going my own way" path.

Secondly He will send ’eye openers’ such as natural disasters, political confusion and corruption, crop failures, snow and ice storms. economic calamites, rebellious youth and on and on.  If the people still refuse to repent, God will deliver the nation to thrash heap in time.  Nineveh heeded Jonah's warning and repented,.  Later as they returned to their old ways, God again sent a prophet by the name of Nahum’ he was told Nineveh had an "incurable wound".  A wound that resulted in their destruction.  Lord, I pray that we do not have an "incurable wound".

Soooo, my friends and neighbors, Our God is a patient God.  He is long suffering.  But keep in mind He cannot be mocked.  He is going to deal with the sins of our nation sooner or later.  There are a hundred or so verses that I would like to close this with, but will control myself and list only one.  Since I have my Bible open to Isaiah 40, I close with one of my very favorite verses, "Though youths grow weary and tired and vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the Lords will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run a not get tired, They will walk and not become weary."  (Is. 40:30-31).

Blessings,

Gramps