A Houston dentist, Clara Harris, was convicted in court last Friday of the murder of her husband. And just in case you haven't been watching the news, she killed her husband in the presence of his mistress, by running him over five times with her Mercedes Benz. The price tag for her anger is a lengthy prison sentence that she will spend among hardened criminals. This is a high and dangerous price to pay for a person whose only downfall was her wrath. In just a few minutes of being out of control, she messed up her whole life (Proverbs 19:19). Often we hear how dangerous stress, high blood pressure, and cholesterol can be, and these things can kill the body, but they can't affect the soul. However wrath is nothing to play around with because it will damn the soul (Proverbs 27:4, Proverbs 5:19-21).
Just look at what wrath has done in the past. At a traffic light, an unknowing person will simply blow his horn at another who is a powder keg, and that hot head will get out of his car and shoot the person to death. A jerk with a short fuse becomes enraged at an infant crying and batters the child to death, etc. etc. We have heard these kinds of stories before, so wrath needs to be controlled or somebody gets hurt (Genesis 4:5-8, Daniel 3:13-20). Moses was a great man of God, but because he became enraged at the Israelites and disobeyed God; it cost his entrance into the land of promise (Numbers 20:1-12). In other information about wrath, we read that it dwells in the bosom of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:9). Wrath is an evil that never accomplishes anything that is pleasing to God (James 1:19-20). But if one can control wrath, he will be liked to one that captured a city (Proverbs 16:32, 14:29, 29:8, Ephesians 4:26-27). Hope to hear from you or to see you at the services. The consequences from one of the most horrible sins known to man can be seen once or twice a week in the local major newspaper. This evil has produced victims, and they are children that have been abandoned, usually listed in the paper as "Friday's child." The word of God has warned mankind not to sin against the children, yet evildoers pay no attention to what the word of God said (Genesis 42:22, Mark 10:13-16, Matthew 18:1-6).
A man and woman will have sex, the woman gets pregnant, then they will abandon the baby someplace and the city and state will have to take care of the child. This is evil, and this wicked activity needs to stop. People are throwing helpless children out in the cold without relatives, and they are destined to live one foster home to the other. This is no way for a child to begin his life on this earth. If people conceive a child, they need to take care of the child, because the state has no business taking care of anyone's child. Parents who throw their children away will answer to God on the Judgment Day, and it sure won't be pretty (Ecclesiastes 12:14, Proverbs 15:3). Hope to hear from you or to see you at the services. The Bible describes life as fragile like the vapor from a tea pot, which is here for a second then gone the next (James 4:13-15, Psalms 144:4). Mankind has a habit of getting so caught up in all this world has to offer that he just feels life will last for a long time. But the word of God teaches such isn't the case, for man is only a step from death (1 Samuel 20:3). No one is promised the next five seconds, though we may think we are (Luke 12:13-31). Just imagine the person who was walking down the street and was killed by a stray bullet. The question is "did that person think he had the next five seconds?" I say he did, however one can easily see how death can take that all away (Psalms 103:14-15, Psalms 146:3-4).
Last weekend's explosion of the space shuttle hit hard into the minds of many that death is out there and could come at any second to anyone (2 Samuel 14:14). Those astronauts were only about 15 minutes from touching down in central Florida and then the shuttle blew up, canceling all the thoughts and intentions of those astronauts along with their loved ones on the ground. Death didn't end it for those people on the shuttle, and neither will it for any of us for after death comes the Judgment Day (Hebrews 9:27). On that day, all men will stand before the Creator and give account for every deed done, every thought planned, and every word said (Romans 14:9-12, 1 Corinthians 4:5, Hebrews 4:13, Ecclesiastes 12:14). Hope to hear from you or to see you at the services. There have been statements made by some that deserve to be considered. For example, "I cannot understand the gospel." Now frankly, I think this is a cop out. However, if it really is possible for a person not to have the mental capacity to understand what Jesus has said about obedience to the gospel, then it may be too much for the understanding of that person(1 Corinthians 15:1-2, John 6:45). Such a person has nothing to worry about; God knows what to do about the mentally challenged on the Judgment Day. However Jesus will still take His wrath upon those who weren't mentally challenged (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).
Some have said, "I know I'm going to hell." Well such is probably true. But it doesn't have to be that way, because a hell-bound person can be saved, if they will repent (Luke 13:3). But those who would make such a statement admit by their own mouth of evil ways that they plan to do nothing about. Therefore, the fires of hell will surely await them (Revelation 20:10). Some have said, "The Devil made me do it." While it is true that the Devil is restless and roams about as a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8), he can't do any more than a person will allow him to do (James 1:14-16). The Devil gains the upper hand over men when they leave weakness for him to work through, and it is spiritually fatal for man to leave a place for the Devil because he will fall into the trap (Ephesians 4:27). Man can resist the devil, that's why the Bible tells men to do so (1 Peter 5:9). So yes, the Devil wants your soul, (Luke 22:31), but man sure doesn't have to give it to him (Matthew 16:23). Hope to hear from you or to see you at the services. |