MORE JUDGMENT WARNING

“For the day is near, even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen” (Ezek. 30:3 NKJV).

Instead of complaining, folks need to clean up their lives because judgment is near. Our verse speaks about the “day” of judgment. It speaks of the closeness of the day, the climax of the day, the cloudiness of the day, and the crowd for the day.

Closeness of the day – “The day is near.” This is a serious note of warning: judgment is near. It may be closer than we realize. For the unbeliever, that judgment will occur the moment they die. And while long life is not a guarantee, judgment is certain. It is important that we pay close attention to God’s warnings. They are for our profit.

Climax of the day – “Day of the Lord.” This is the great climax of the plans and purposes of God in which His holiness will reign supreme, and the wickedness of mankind will be duly punished. Many mock God and have no time for Him, but He will be vindicated on the “day of the Lord.” This will be the climax of Divine judgment

Cloudiness of the day – “A cloudy day.” This speaks of the darkness of the Day of Judgment for the wicked. The sun will stop shining for the wicked. Many have basked in the sunshine of fame, fortune, and fun; but clouds are mounting in the sky for them. Judgment will forever blot out the sun for them.

Crowd for the day – “It shall be the time of the heathen.” This phrase can be translated, “It shall be the time of doom for the wicked.” This is their day of judgment. On this day, God’s righteous judgment will come upon the nations that have sinned against Him.

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Bible Reading 3)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“No attribute of God is more dreadful to sinners than His holiness!”

Matthew Henry (1662 – 1714)

Welsh Nonconformist Minister and Author

Word Study

Easily ensnares (beset)

In Heb 12:1 we read, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us!” (NKJV).

Easily ensnares (beset) is the Greek word euperistatos (εὐπερίστατος =yoo-per-is'-tat-os). It is made up of three words: “eu” which means well “peri” which means around, and “histemi” which means to stand. Thus the word means easily ensnaring, entangling, besetting. Literally, the word means well standing around. The picture is that of something which is easily, and persistently attacking, tempting, harassing, assailing; surrounding or attacking from all sides. Figuratively, it speaks of a sin which readily or easily encircles and entangles the Christian runner, like a long, loose robe clinging to his limbs. This is the only occurrence in Scripture. The Christian is to lay aside sin because it hampers or stands in the way of spiritual progress and is therefore dangerous.

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“And it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said unto her, fear not; thou shalt have this son also.” (Gen. 35:17 KJV).

Did You Know…

According to 1 Kings 22, Solomon had many trading ships which returned every three years bringing “apes and peacocks.”

Bible Quiz

What did Paul urge Timothy to drink because of his stomach and other infirmities?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: According to the Book of Acts, what happened to Bar-Jesus (Elymas) when he opposed Paul and Barnabas? He became blind (Acts 13:6-12).

Names For God Found in the Bible

“Governor”

"For the kingdom is the LORD’S: and he is the governor among the nations” (Psalm 22:28 KJV).

1. Meaning – Governor means that God is the One who is the sovereign King, the One who rules over the nations.

2. Insights – According to verse 27, praise for God will extend beyond Israel to include all nations. The Psalmist envisions the nations turning to God in praise because He is King not just of Israel, but of the whole world (Rom. 3:29). All will worship Him, both rich and poor, even those so poor that they do not have the resources to stay alive. And even more wonderful is the fact that it will not just be the present generation, but generations to come, who will hear about God’s saving activity (v. 31).

Did You Know...Christian History

John Coleridge Patteson was born April 1, 1827 in London England. He was an English Anglican bishop, missionary to the South Sea Islands.

Patteson was a reared by godly parents who used patience, explanation and other forms of discipline to overcome his natural laziness and flaring temper. In 1855, he heard bishop Selwyn speak of the need for workers in the islands of the Pacific Ocean. He made up his mind to become one of those workers. A year later, he was in the islands.

Patteson arrived at Auckland in May 1855, and for five years, he toured the islands, visiting the indigenous peoples and teaching them about Christianity. He ran the Melanesian Mission’s summer school at Kohimarama, Auckland. He also founded St Barnabas College on Norfolk Island, as a training center for missionaries. A brilliant linguist, Patteson eventually spoke 23 of the more than 1,000 Melanesian languages. He printed grammars and vocabularies and translated some gospels into the Mota language.

Patteson’s goal was to take boys from local communities, educate them in the Christian culture at his mission school, and return them to their villages to help lead the next generation. He had difficulty persuading local people to allow their young men to depart, sometimes for years, for this purpose. He was not always welcomed, particularly since the native peoples were subject to abuses at the hands of ‘blackbirders,’ merchants who essentially stole men as laborers, transporting them away under harsh conditions.

As the visits to the islands were becoming more dangerous, Patteson believed that regulation of the employment of native laborers was needed. In an official memorandum he advocated the licensing of a few ships to transport the islanders. All others ships were to be treated as pirates and confiscated when caught. Further, frigates were to cruise constantly among the islands. In January 1871 he made another appeal for imperial legislation on Pacific Island labor.

In April 1871 Patteson set sail for the islands, arriving on September 20. Landing alone on Nukapu near Santa Cruz, he was mistakenly clubbed to death in retribution for a recent outrage by blackbirders.

In spite of his death, the Melanesian Mission continued to expand on Patteson’s foundations while his life is a lasting inspiration to the Anglican Church in Australasia. Further, Patteson’s death achieved what his life never had. Public outcry was so great in England that the practice of forced labor had to stop with the passing of the imperial Kidnapping Acts of 1872 and 1875. The British navy enforced the ban.

A Little Humor

After a church service on Sunday morning, a young boy suddenly announced to his mother, “Mom, I’ve decided to become a minister when I grow up.” “That’s okay with us, but what made you decide that?” “Well,” said the little boy, “I have to go to church on Sunday anyway, so I figure it will be more fun to stand up and yell, than to sit and listen.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Only a living Savior could rescue a dying world!”