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."
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