Tag: God’s mercy

  • The Sentinel

    The price of being a watchman for God

    Set apart from the others, a tree stands atop the hill behind our  home. It’s been battered and broken but refuses to give in and keeps growing. It reminds me of a sentinel at watch.

    A sentinel (sentry, watchman) watches, warns, and keeps out unwanted visitors.

    It can be a lonely role. I remember holding sentinel posts over the runways at an airbase when I was in the Canadian Armed Forces. 

    I usually got that role during “exercises,” where readiness was tested through simulated war conditions.

    Some officer in a control center dictated the play, writing off various areas as losses to the enemy. During one exercise, my area was written off as lost early and promptly forgotten. Since I was guarding well away from the central part of the base and not in communication with others, no one told me my role was done, so I continued to stand guard.

    I was cold, wet, and hungry, but held my post. It wasn’t until the exercise was completed and I didn’t return to my normal duty station that anyone noticed I was missing. After some searching, they realized I was still out in the middle of nowhere beyond the airstrips and came to get me.

    In Ezekiel 33, we read of Ezekiel being appointed the watchman over Israel.

    The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand. “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. Ezekiel 33:1-9 ESV

    Ezekiel was to warn people of God’s wrath and tell them to turn back. He was not responsible for the results, but he was called to give a warning.

    Similarly, we are to warn people of the dangers of sin and hell and tell them of the hope in Christ. They are accountable for their actions.

    It isn’t an easy task. Like sentries, our warnings can be ignored, and we can stand alone against the crowd, but we are still called to proclaim the truth.

    We are called to truth proclamation in words, deeds, and how you live your life. If you and I don’t tell them, who will?

    Be blessed

    Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

    Kevin

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  • Issue 1703 – Rain – April 8, 2025

    heaving rain falling

    It’s wet here. It rained heavily all day yesterday and is raining  again this morning. The forecast is rain every day until Saturday.

    That’s not unusual. Given where we live on the Lower Mainland. I was surprised when I looked at the forecast, though. It showed 50 meters of rain was forecast. Although it was an obvious typo and should have read mm, it did catch my attention.

    Fifty meters of rain, that’s about 165 feet. We’re talking about a flood of biblical proportions. I envisioned animals pairing up and heading for Israel.

    This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder,that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:1-9 ESV

    Fortunately, while we may have some minor flooding locally, it’s not going to be at the point where we should be boarding the Ark.

    The account of that flood demonstrates God’s wrath against sin, but it also clearly shows His mercy. I don’t doubt that the sin of the world today approaches or even exceeds that of Noah’s day. Fortunately for us, God promised never to destroy the world in that way again.

    It is only by his grace and patience that the world isn’t destroyed and humanity isn’t wiped out as we speak. God would be just and fair to destroy it all because of His rebellion. Many people recognize the evil of the world and the fact that we are not destroyed as “proof” that the Lord does not exist. Peter directly addresses this thinking.

    I’m grateful for His patience. Part of me wants to cry out, “Come now. LORD!” but then I think of those unsaved, and I want Him to delay. He isn’t worried about what I think the right moment will be. He knows it. Frankly, I’m glad He has to make the call rather than you or me.

    How do we live as we wait?

    We live each moment to the best of our abilities in service to Him. When we fall, we repent quickly and turn back to Him. We strive to tell others about Him at every opportunity.

    Let’s see our eyes and the Lord and serve with grateful hearts.

    Be blessed

    Hallelu Yah / Praise God 

    Kevin

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