LUKE 11 (PART 2): RETURN TO ME

Did you know
we are an evil generation?
Much like the one described by Jesus,
in the second half of Luke chapter 11.

Like them,
we ask for miraculous signs
instead of opening the word of God,
and following His lines. 

But at that time,
when Jesus was alive,
He told them he would give them
only one sign to prove He is the Messiah.

He told them He would give them
the sign of Jonah,
the prophet who was sent
to the people of Nineveh.

Jonah tried to run from what He heard,
but God interceded
and put him in the belly of a whale. 

“Then Jonah prayed to God
from inside the fish.
He said, “I cried out to the Lord
in my great trouble,
and he answered me.
I called to you
from the land of the dead,
and Lord, you heard me!
You threw me
into the ocean depths,
and I sank down
to the heart of the sea.
The mighty waters engulfed me;
I was buried beneath
your wild and stormy waves.
Then I said, "‘O Lord,
you have driven me
from your presence.
Yet I will look once more
toward your holy Temple."
I sank beneath the waves,
and the waters closed over me.
Seaweed wrapped itself
around my head.
I sank down to the very roots
of the mountains.
I was imprisoned in the earth,
whose gates lock shut forever.
But you, O Lord my God,
snatched me from the jaws of death!
As my life was slipping away,
I remembered the Lord.
And my earnest prayer
went out to you in your holy Temple.
Those who worship false gods
turn their backs on all God’s mercies.
But I will offer sacrifices to you
with songs of praise,
and I will fulfill all my vows.
For my salvation
comes from the Lord alone.”
Then the Lord ordered
the fish to spit Jonah
out onto the beach.”
Jonah 2:1-10 NLT
 
Can you believe, Jonah was given reprieve?
Once he repented, and began to praise,
the Lord delivered him from the belly of the fish,
or was he actually delivered from eternal death?
 
What is your guess?
 
The Lord then said,
“Get up and go
to the great city of Nineveh,
and deliver the message
that I have given you.”
 This time Jonah obeyed
and went to Nineveh,
a city so large
that it took three days
to see it all.
On the day Jonah entered the city,
he shouted to the crowds:
“Forty days from now
Nineveh will be destroyed!”
The people of Nineveh
believed God’s message,
and from the greatest to the least,
they declared a fast
and put on burlap
to show their sorrow!
When the king of Nineveh
heard what Jonah was saying,
he stepped down from his throne
and took off his royal robes.
He dressed himself in burlap
and sat on a heap of ashes.
Then the king and his nobles
sent this decree
throughout the city:
“No one, not even the animals
from your herds and flocks,
may eat or drink anything at all.
People and animals alike
must wear garments of mourning,
and everyone must pray
earnestly to God.
They must turn
from their evil ways
and stop all their violence.
Who can tell?
Perhaps even yet God
will change his mind
and hold back his fierce anger
from destroying us all.”
When God saw
what they had done
and how they had put a stop
to their evil ways,
he changed his mind
and did not carry out
the destruction that
he had threatened.”
Jonah 3:2-10 NLT
 
Jonah ran away, 
and lived inside
the belly of a whale
before He was willing to go
tell an evil people
that they needed to repent
and turn from their ways.
 
But Jesus did not to try to run,
in fact, He came on his own.
His purpose was heavenly sent,
to be our redeemer while still
telling us to repent.
 
He came to serve our death sentence,
while simultaneously, paying the bail.
 
His location was not the belly of a whale,
instead he sat in the pit of hell.
 
And this is where He took the keys
that would forever set humanity free.
 
Jesus would be the penance for all.
His blood would be enough to cover it all.
 
I pray we will accept this Key,
the free gift of Jesus who came to set us free.
 
And yet, there he stood
in front of the Pharisees,
Literally -
lifting up a sign in neon lights
that He is the Messiah
who came to set them free,
and still they did not believe!
 
No wonder why He calls them evil,
they could not see past themselves!
 
He said that even the Queen of Sheba
recognized pure wisdom
more than they did!
 She came from a distant land
to hear wisdom spoken
from the mouth of King Solomon.
On the day of judgment,
she will stand against them!
 
And the people of Nineveh
will stand and condemn,
because even they can
recognize an evil generation
more corrupt than them!
 
Here is the Son of Man
standing right in front of them,
and yet they are blinded
and can not see
that He is the Messiah,
who came to set them free!
 
Even Nineveh repented
when they heard Jonah speak,
but the evil Pharisees
refused to repent
when they heard Jesus speak.
 
Jesus declares
that they will be the first
on the day of judgement
to be eternally cursed.
 
How did these Pharisees
get so spiritually dumb?
 
Are they oblivious
to the sorrow that awaits them?
 
What happened
to make them so numb?
 
Perhaps they were overcome
with their own evil ways,
instead of repenting
and seeking Holy Spirit wisdom?
 
Instead of listening,
and pressing in,
they got offended
and created a plan
to crucify Him.
 
My heart sinks
at that thought of this,
that the lost would lead
the found to the cross.
 
This makes absolutely no sense!
But the truth is,
we were only found
when Jesus got off of the cross!
 
Back then,
Jesus stood in front of them,
and God’s own people
did not recognize Him.
 
Today, is no different than then.
Many people have heard of Jesus
but still deny Him.
 
Historical evidence and eye witness accounts
is not enough to turn back hearts;
and even when miraculous things take place,
people find other ways to justify them.  
 
I wonder what Jesus would say today?
 
Would He call us an evil generation?
Will we also be condemned on judgment day?
 
Have we missed the signs that He is the only way?
Have we plugged our ears and been led astray?
 
Do we need to repent
for our moral failure -
for permitting oppression 
and not feeding the poor?
 
Are we like the Pharisees
who build monuments
to honor the prophets
that our ancestors killed?

Do we stand as witnesses
who agree with what they did?
 
Luke 11 ends like this,
“This is what God
in his wisdom said about you:
I will send prophets
and apostles to them,
but they will kill some
and persecute the others.’
As a result,
this generation
will be held responsible
for the murder
of all God’s prophets
from the creation of the world--
from the murder of Abel
to the murder of Zechariah,
who was killed between the altar
and the sanctuary.
Yes, it will certainly be charged
against this generation.”
Luke 11:49-51 NLT
 
Wow!
God does not play!
Do we think we have it bad today?
Just wait until judgement day!
Every knee will bow,
and not one person
will be able to run away!
 
Jonah had it good!
He had time to repent
and get right with God!

What about you?
What will you do?

Are ready to receive the free offering 
that Jesus paid for you?
 
The signs and the times are set.
Not one of us know when our end date is.  

We need to stop being
so earthly saturated,
and spiritually blind.
Before we know it,
it will be the end of our time!

There is a dismantling going on!
Very few people want to know God.

Well, that is not completely true.
Many desire spiritual wisdom,
but most turn to the concept of
universal love.
It's the humanistic view of spirituality.
It's putting self at the center
instead of Jesus's divinity.  

There is certainly
a magnetic attraction
to satanic strongholds.
We see this in the rise of divorce,
and the redefinition of marriage.

We see huge amounts of identity crisis,
an anxiety of souls chasing visions in the wind.

We see depression on the rise,
and many more suicides.
 
We foolishly eat demonic lies,
and drink the brew of agnostic soup.
 
We hold onto falsehoods,
and adhere to the twisting of truth.
 
Bitterness roots inside of men,
and we fall pray to murderous cannibalism.
 
We see people marching, down on the street;
with heads a swinging and dancing feet.
 
There’s a dissolution of community,
and a rising dose of self-serving philosophy.
 
Children are suffering!
Look at the abomination of abortion
and child sex trafficking!
 
And you don’t think this is child sacrifice?
Isn’t it the price we pay for worshiping SELF?
 
Corruption and deceit are everywhere;
Pride and Rebellion are the medals
worn proudly on the chests of self-serving men.
 
Oh God!
We are an evil generation!
Help us to repent and come back to your wisdom!

The Lord says,
"Where is my church?
Do you hear the cries
of the broken-hearted?
Do you see my people
starving in the streets?
Where are my hands and my feet?
How far are you willing to walk?
How far are you willing to reach?
Where is my mouthpiece?
Will you speak out for me?
Will you share your testimony,
and give the glory back to Me?
Gluttony-
It’s the reason
I have turned many hearts
away from Me!
You think the glory
is all for you
and none for Me!
Do not be deceived!
Your “Glory” in the dark
can not be seen!
It’s all just a dream!
There is no light
when you have a heart
focused on you instead of Me.
My power is received
by the hearts that receive Me.
This is when true wisdom
speaks in the streets!
It’s Holy Spirit power
given by Me.
Before you speak,
you must submit
to the Lion of Judah
who is fully equipped! 
Jesus Christ,
the Son of Man,
is also the Son of God!
He came as a lamb,
but do not be deceived,
He is reigns in Heaven
and has been given all authority
to bring my people back to Me.  
The voice that you hear 
is attached to My lungs,
and the light that shines down
comes from My throne!
I am the flood light
that this evil world needs,
and I convict the hearts
who are ready to receive.
Do not be afraid
of the shame that you see;
it's a byproduct of the lies
that you have believed.
Naked is how I made you,
now expose yourself to Me
because I already can see
your most inward being!
There is nothing
that can be hidden from Me.   
Now repent,
and return to Me."