Scripture for Today, 11-22-19: God is Only Hope

​The Only Hope in the Coming Storm!
The Lord God said: "I will be will be unto her a wall of fire round about and will be the Glory in the midst of her. V6 For thou has been a…shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall. There shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, a place of refuge, a covert from storm and from rain.”

Zechariah 2:5; Isaiah 4:6, 25:4

11-22-19, * -- GOD promised the prophet Zechariah that in the last days, He would be a protective wall of fire around His people. These promises [above] are meant to comfort us, because all the prophets warn of a great storm coming in the final days. The Lord Jesus Christ also says this coming storm will be so frightful and overwhelming, people’s hearts will fail them as they see it developing (Luke 21:26). The Bible assures us God never sends judgment on any society without first revealing to His prophets what He plans to do:

“Surely the Lord will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7; John 16:4; Hosea 12:10)

God told His prophets to warn sinful and prosperous nations that were at peace, that the good times soon would end.  (Zechariah 7:7) Because of God’s great love, He  purposely calls the lost sinner to repentance to protect us in such times of storm.

Historically, when God gave these warnings, the people refused to listen (2 Chronicles 24:19). Almost always, the people grew weary of these warnings; the people simply switched off the prophet’s voice. They preferred to hear “smooth things.” And the Hebrew word for “smooth” here means “pleasant” words. [Isaiah 30:10] 

This very condition is creeping into the church of Jesus Christ today. God is appalled by this. We see this in the warnings of the prophet Ezekiel when the Lord told him to give the people this message: “I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountain of Israel shall be desolate…because of all their abominations which they have committed.” (Ezekiel 33:28-29)

Ezekiel preached; and over several years the people grew weary of listening to him. After all, over the years not one of Ezekiel’s words had come to pass. On the contrary, the nation only grew more prosperous! Over time, Ezekiel’s prophecies became a source of entertainment for the people. They began calling him names behind his back – names that were probably similar to the ones I’ve been called over the years: “Doomsday preacher,” “The man who never smiles,” “Mr. bad news.” 

Currently a majority of churchgoers soundly reject all prophetic warnings of a coming storm. Sadly, the American church today is the most blatant “feel good” church in all of history. However, like Israel, we’re only experiencing the calm before the storm! [Amos 8:11] Today’s church is experiencing a famine of hearing! People are closing their eyes and ears, hardening their hearts saying: “I don’t want to hear anymore bad news; tickle my ears with pleasant smooth words!” [1 Cor 15:19-20; Titus 2:11-14]

"For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears.”
2 Timothy 4:3-4; Jude 1:18

*Excerpted and adapted full original message from the late David Wilkerson [Born: May 19, 1931 -Passed: Apr 27, 2011] here 

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