Dont look back. [ Luke 17 v 30 - 33 ]

Genesis 19..../ We saw yesterday how judgement is no joking matter, it must be taken seriously, this chapter is a tragedy , but an even greater tragedy is what happened to Lots wife. The family were rescued by the two angels, in fact it appears they were reluctant to leave Sodom ,they were practicaly dragged out v16. If you ever had any fire training you are told to leave everything and get to a place of safety, if the alarm goes. there must be no lingering back,but Lot his wife and daughters , lingered. Yes they lingered, but God is merciful ,consider the extent He goes to save people,the patience He shows. As they are dragged out ,they are told,escape for your life, look not behind thee v17,this was not a suggestion , it was a command to be obeyed, for whatever reason , if only Lots wife had taken it seriously, she didnt, and suffered the consequences, she looked back and was turned into a pillar of salt. Consider if we are going to be saved there must be no looking back, those Israelites who were brought out of Egypt were continually looking back, the result ,they never entered the promised land , they perished in the wilderness. William Hendriksen is helpful in his Lukes commentary chap 17 v32, he wrote,/that in her scale of values Lots wife placed earth above heaven, material things above spiritual/
A prayer..../ Dear God thank You for salvation, we thank You that You desire all to be saved, and yet we are told that that men love darkness ,oh Father have mercy and save in Jesus name . Amen /

Judgement no joke [ 1 Thessalonians 1 v 10 ]

Genesis 19..../ The two heavenly beings enter Sodom to observe and to warn, what they observed was a people given over to gross wickedness, which would bring the judgement of God . They warn Lot to leave that place, but first to warn any of his his family to leave as soon as possible,this Lot did warning his sons in law, but it seems they thought he was joking.The result was they would perish , if only they had listened, and taken serious the warning that been given. The judgement of God is no joke it must be taken serious ,hell is full of people who wish they had taken it serious, I write this with great sadness, as I look back in my life , I have offended people by witnessing to them, mybe I was not always been as wise as I should have been,but you see I take judgement seriously. Let us learn how vital it is for us as to warn people, ministers in their pulpits must not neglect to remind their congregations of coming judgement, yet it is not only ministers responsiblity but every Christians responsiblity just like dear Lot.They did not listen, and as Robert Candlish wrote,/Their blood was on their own heads, they died in their iniquities/.
A prayer...../ Dear God help us to tell others that You so loved them that if they but believe in Jesus they will not perish bur have everlasting life Amen /

He will always do that which is right. [Genesis 18v25 ]

Genesis 18 v25.../Now we come to consider the last part of this verse,/ shall not the judge of all the earth do right?/,this a question, God does not mind us asking questions, but we must be prepared to accept His answer.Habakkuk asked God questions, as he felt God was acting out of character, but of course He wasnt,God will not act contrary to His holiness,but He will act in ways that we do not appreciate or understand [ cp Isaiah 55 v 8 -9 ], and that is when we must trust Him/ Habakkuk 3 v 17- 19./. Abraham reasons with God ,we can do this [cp,Isaiah 1 v18 ]God is willing to listen to our reasoning with Him. Abraham reasons ,shall not the Judge of all the earth do right ?, do you believe this, I believe Abraham did, God responed ,by agreeing with Him, because God will always will do whats right, the ungodly accuse God of many things .A man called Jeremiah stood in midst of a devastating situation, when all appeared lost, and all that was left was ruins , and He cried out, great is Thy faithfulness [ Lamentations 3 v23], because inspite of everything, he believed that the Judge of all the earth always did that which was right.
A prayer..../ Dear Father in heaven ,help us to trust You in all the ways You lead us,that You will always, always do that which is right, and that You will cause all things to work for our good, in Jesus name Amen/

Wishful thinking. [Hebrews 9 v 27 ]

Genesis 18 v 25/ The next thing is to consider is Abraham refering to God as a judge, C S Lewis writes the following,/ Some people talk as if meeting the gaze of absolute goodness would be fun. They need to think again./God will judge us make no mistake about it, in the case of the cities in the plains they would be judged, dramatically as a lesson for all of us. The evolutionist have a god that has no moral requirements, again C S lewis is helpful here,/ he writes of that great mysterious life force, that has no morals and no mind, will never interfere with you like that troublesome God we learned about when we were children. The life- force is a sort of tame god.You can switch it on when you want, but it will never bother you. All the thrills of religion and none of the cost. Is not the life force the greatest achievement of wishful thinking the world has yet seen./ We must get real ,and begin to appreciate the true nature of God as revealed in His word, He is as Abraham declared the Judge of all the earth.
A prayer......../Dear God help us not be fooled into thinking anything goes ,our behaviour,attitude, these matter to You,for You will judge, help us to seek mercy by forsaking our sins and trusting in Jesus Amen,/

Great is the Lord.[ Psalm 86 v 10 ]

Genesis 18/ In interceding for the doomed cities ,Abraham reasons with God v25, Shall not the judge of all the earth do right, first we see that he does not see God as a local diety, which was a common belief.There is only one God, and He is God of all the earth,Psalm 24 v1 tells us that the earth is the Lords, and the fullness thereof, and they that dwell therein. I love to read Isaiah 40 with its description of my God, as one who sitteth upon the the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers, that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in.Such is the greatness of our God, great in His power, in His wisdom, His love, mercy,forgiveness, wrath ,justice, holiness, truth, and so we could go on. Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised,who knows all things, and His ways are past finding out. John Mason wrote the following./ How great a being,Lord is Thine, Which doth all beings keep, Thy knowledge is the only line. To sound so vast a deep Thou art a sea without a shore. Thy sun without a sphere. Thy time is now and evermore , Thy place is everywhere.
A prayer..../Dear God trully how great Thou art,the greatness of Your being takes our breath away,Amen /

Keep on praying. [ Luke 18 v 1 ]

Genesis 18/ So judgement was going to fall on those cities ,unlike Jonah who appeared to want Nineveh to be destroyed, Abraham starts to plead with God. His request involved two things I believe ,the general population, and his nephew, he was pleading for mercy on them. We learn a very important lesson ,we need to pray for the lost, often that is all we can do,consider how Abraham persisted,recently I told you how my oldest boy came back to the Lord,I prayed for him everyday of his life, he is 43yrs of age. Of course as a child we ministered into his life, but we prayed ,and prayed, and prayed, and God answered.There are so many ,many people I have prayed for, literally for years,we may see results, but only eternity will reveal the answers to our prayers, and I believe there will be answers.
A prayer......./Dear Heavenly Father help us like Abraham that we may pray for the lost continually in Jesus name Amen.

I exaggerate not.[ Romans 1 v 18 ]

Abraham is told that judgement is going to fall upon the cities of the plains because of their sin, God cannot ignor sin, be it blatant or not so blatant. God of course does not usually act the way He was going to act with Sodom and Gomorrah,their extreme wickedness warranted it. Now it is possible that as you read this account in Genesis 18/19, you may thing well I am not as evil or wicked as those people, you may reason , I know Im not perfect ,but I an not that bad, grant it, but consider,even one sin if it is not forgiven ,will keep you out of heaven,and condemn you to hell for all eternity, I exaggerate not. To speak light of our condition ,is a clear indication that we are unaware of the gravity of sin and its consequences, yes even one sin. It also indicates that we think we dont need Gods solution, we dont need Jesus as our Saviour, and that is very foolish,and dangerous.We may not commit the extreme wickedness that some do, but the Bible clearly teaches that we all have sinned and come short of the glory of God [Romans 3 v23 ].
A prayer...../ Dear God help us to see the gravity of sin,yes even one sin, and grant us the grace to trust in Jesus that our sin may be forgiven Amen /