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Not too far away from now
there is a time coming when God's people will have to leave the
cities and make for the safety of the country. The big cities are
becoming dangerous to dwell in:
- crime is on the increase,
- violence on every hand
But
the greatest danger of all is the very real threat of losing our
children to the city influences.
I think the greatest tragedy
that could come into our lives is for our children to turn away from
the Truth, to seek pleasure and worldly enjoyment, that is like the
flowers that once picked soon wither and fade away.
Warning to Those Living in the Last Days
Jesus saw this and He gave a
solemn warning to every parent to every young person that have ever
named the name of Christ.
Luke
17:28 says, " Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot:
they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted: they
builded, But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire
and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall
it be in the day the Son of man is revealed."
Now this is a warning to
those living in our day just before Our Lord returns.
Jesus said 'You who are
living down in the Last days, you had better sharpen up your
memories. As the end gets nearer it will pay you to read all about
Lot and his wife. Especially ‘Lot’s Wife.'
Two Important Remembers
There are two important
“Remembers” that Jesus tells us to keep in mind.
Remember the “Sabbath”
Remember “Lot’s wife”
Yes, God is urging us to pay
special attention to the experience of Lot and him wife, and He
wants us especially in these days to take notice of this unfortunate
experience.
Sodom
First of all let us take a
look at Sodom. It was a city situated in a
very rich and fertile plain. As a matter of fact it was a
great big oasis.
Why, it was called the
"Garden of Jehovah."
Genesis 3:10 says, "And Lot
lifted up his eyes and behold all the plain of Jordan, that it was
well watered everywhere before the Lord destroyed Sodom and
Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord.”
Lot chose to
live in this city for he was greatly attracted by the abundance of
water, the beautiful surroundings, and lush growth.
But it was
selfish considerations that decided his choice.
In
Ezekiel 16:49 we
read,
"Behold this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride".
Fullness of bread, and
abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did
she strengthen the hand of the needy.
Idleness
Pride, ease of living, and
idleness! Idleness is the greatest
curse that can fall upon man. That old proverb is so very
true, Satan finds much mischief for idle hands to do.
We see it right through the
Bible, great men such as David and Gideon, men who were truly great
in action, fell into disgrace and almost lost the kingdom through
idleness.
Genesis 18:20, 21 says, "And
the Lord said, 'Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and
because their sin is very grievous. I will go down now and see
whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it."
I like this verse. It gives
me great comfort. God
does not act on hearsay. He makes a thorough investigation before He
brings judgment upon people or an individual.
Genesis 19:1 says, "And
there came two angels to Sodom at even, and Lot sat in the gate of
Sodom."
Lot
Did you notice that Lot sat
in the gate. In all probability he was a judge or magistrate, there
is no question but that he was a person of authority, for we find that King David
sat in the gate to show himself to the people. (2 Sam 19:8)
When Lot saw the angels he
rose to greet them.
Now there were quite a
number of things that Lot showed in his character that were not
particularly good traits, but one thing in which he did shine was
hospitality.
Why St Paul even mentions
it, in Hebrews 13:2, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for
thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”
Oh yes Lot was hospitable,
there is no doubt about that. He was ever ready to help
the friendless and the poor. It was
something that he had learned from Abraham, and of course it was
part of his religion.
And to those
of us living in these last days God’s messenger has warned
"Many a
household in closing its doors against a stranger
has shut out God's messenger who would have brought
a blessing and hope and peace.”
When the men of Sodom heard
that there were two strangers staying at Lot's house they came to
molest them (Genesis
19:5).
Corruption in Sodom
These people were terribly
corrupt. We say today, why it is
incredible that men could be so corrupt and vile,
but Jesus said "You had
better remember Sodom because that is how it will be in the Last
Days."
Verse 12
says, " And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here
any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy
daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city,
bring them out of this place:"
The Angels warn Lot ‘If you
want to save your children then you had better get them out of here.
Verse 14 says, "And Lot went
out, and spake unto his sons-in -laws, which married his daughters,
and said, 'Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy
this city.' But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons-in -law.
"
Warning Message
So used to the
city and its evil inhabitants
were Lot's children, that when Lot
warned them of the impending destruction, it says he
seemed as one that mocked. They could see no evidence
of danger. They had good homes, good jobs and every prospect of
advancement.
The environment of the city
blinds men and women to sin. And it is a picture of the world today. We are warning the
inhabitants of the great cities of the impending disaster that is
soon to come on this earth of ours.
In every big city the
message is being sounded but Satan has blinded the minds of men and
women so that they will not listen and cannot comprehend.
Lot thought to himself. My
children will get a better education in the city, I will only have
to work a forty hour week, and it will be a far better job than
Abraham's of minding herds of sheep and goats,
We can build a nice home
have all the conveniences of city life, and give our children every
advantage.
Lot Should Not have been in Sodom
But
friends I am going to tell you that Sodom caused the ruin of Lot's
children.
2 Peter 2:7
says, "And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of
the wicked."
Lot was a good man and the
Bible says he was a righteous man, but Lot should never have
been there in that wicked city. Probably Lot felt that he
was a good influence being a magistrate. You can always find a good
excuse for being in a place where you shouldn’t be.
Why, I remember when I was
in the Army, at first I was shocked by the vile language but after a
year or two unconsciously your attitude changes. You become accustomed to it
and it hardly seems to jar on your feelings.
Lot should never have been
in Sodom, and now as he thinks of his beautiful home, his costly
carpets, and all those things that he has worked and saved so
hard for, all these soon to be burned. And then his heart aches for
the children so soon to be lost forever. This was hard for Lot.
Lesson for Us
But this is more than a
lesson to Lot--it is a lesson to you and to me. Are WE building fine homes
and laying up treasures in Sodom?
Lot and his wife found it
difficult to leave all their possessions behind. Lot lingered,
undecided, undecided as to what he should carry with him as
he fled. However the Angels manifested no concern over Lot's
possessions. We are told that they pulled
the four of them away by force.
No wonder JESUS said 'You
had better remember that experience of Lot and his wife that you are
not caught in the same condition as they were.'
Human nature is that way, even a good man may become so infatuated with the world that he
cannot tear himself away from it.
Men who have been lost in a
snowstorm have had that fatal numbness creeping up their limbs and
experienced that temptation to surrender to what they know is the
sleep of death. They need someone to urge
them on to a place of safety.
Christ meets
them outside the city. He told them to escape for
their lives. The need for Christ Himself to join the Angels in their
appeal to Lot, suggests that he and his wife are even
yet hesitant
about leaving
everything behind. Truly you could say that Lot
was a brand plucked from the burning.
Yet even God calls Lot a
good man and yet here he is surrounded by evil and reluctant to
leave it.
It is a picture of you and
of me in this corrupt old world today. If Lot had of been allowed
to tarry it would have been without doubt his destruction.
He might have decided to
remain. But his only safety lay in
an immediate and complete break with those things that bound his
heart to Sodom.
The question we must ask
ourselves is, Are we allowing our hearts to become so attached to
Sodom that our only chance of safety will to be torn away. I hope not but it can so
easily happen.
Test for Lot
Chapter 19:17 says, “Look
not behind thee.”
God was going to test them
out, to see if they were devoted to Sodom or devoted to God. If they were
grateful to
God or otherwise.
God was HOLDING back the
fires of Sodom just for Lot and his family.
God does great things for
His people.
Verse 18. We find that Lot
did not want to leave the cities, he did not fancy the prospect of
living in the mountains. And that is what Sodom does.The more we fit
into the pattern of this world, the harder it will be to flee when
God sends the call.
Lot's Wife
The sad thing is that the
Scripture tells us that his wife LOOKED BACK. Why? Because her heart was
back in that wicked city.
Her friends,
Her children,
Her possessions,
Her thoughts,
she was walking to the
hills, but every step away from Sodom was an agony.
Verse 26. God turned her
into a pillar of salt. What a lesson it is to you and to me. Our feet can be on the way
to the kingdom but our hearts can be with and in this world.
It is
a perpetual reminder and warning to those who would like to be
saved but are content with HALFWAY measures, who seem to forsake the
world, but whose hearts are still in it.
Lot a Bad
Example
Then again we find that Lot
was a bad example to his wife. His influence was weak land
he lacked determination. Greater firmness on Lot's
part in heeding the Angels commands would have meant her salvation. If Lot had obeyed the
angels warning his wife would have made her escape." (Patriarchs and
Prophets 160,161).
Yes she chose to die, rather
than to leave Sodom. We are sorry for Mrs. Lot
but let us profit by her example.
Why a Pillar of Salt?
But why a pillar of salt? Salt in the Scriptures
signifies incorruption, durability. God did this to teach us not
to forget it--an everlasting memorial.
REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE.. Three words, but what a
message!
There are Mrs. Lots today,
have you heard them? "If my
children are not going to be there, then I won’t be there also. or, "My husband died an
Anglican, my children
are Anglicans, therefore I
will die an Anglican." This reveals base ingratitude. Mrs. Lot did not appreciate
what God was doing for her. God calls us out of BABYLON, He expects us to obey His
call.
At the time of Christ the
pillar of salt was supposed to be still standing according to Josephus, and
Jewish historians.
Whether it is still standing
is doubtful but the lesson STILL REMAINS.
Last Day of Sodom
Verse 23. "The sun was risen
upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar."
Yes it was a beautiful day. The sun came up smiling,
everything promised to be a really lovely day. Business opened as usual. The shopkeepers swept out
their shops and made them tidy, ready for business. The postman’s whistle could
be heard as he began his morning round, the children went off to
school. The hotel bars started serving their liquor, the hangers on
were there with
their idle gossip.
The news soon spread.
"You know that old
religious crank Lot, well he has been putting around a story that
Sodom is going to be destroyed".
Of course
you could hear the laughter for miles.
But their
laughter was short lived.
Verse 24. "Then the Lord
rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the
Lord out of heaven."
Sodom was reduced to
ashes. What was a beautiful
fertile plain, well watered, with luxuriant growth, became barren desolate
desert place. What a lesson for you and
for me!
2 Peter 2:6 says, "And
turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, condemned
them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that
after should live ungodly."
Jude 7 says, “Even as
Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities about them in like manner,
giving themselves over to fornication and going after strange
flesh are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of
eternal fire."
Sodom is a type of this
world.
Sodom speaks of
Judgment to the man who follows the lust of the
flesh.
A Greater Sin
But while
telling us to REMEMBER Sodom Jesus tells us that although the sins of
that ill famed city were bad enough, it is possible for people to
commit a greater sin that what they did. Would you like to know what
that might be?
Here it is
in
Matthew 10:14, “And whosoever shall not
receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart
out of that house or city, shake off the dust of
your feet.”
Now couple that verse with
verse 15. "Verily I say unto you, it
shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the
day of judgment than for that city."
Christ says that this is a
greater sin, that of rejecting the TRUTH of GOD, than the sin of Sodom
and Gomorrah.
Friends there is a time
coming and coming very soon when the LAST BIBLE study will have
been given. There is a time when this CHURCH, will be closed.
There is a time
coming when all those who are to be saved will have
fled into the mountains for safety.
A Time for Us to
Flee
the Cities
Matthew 24:16
says, "Then let them which be in Judea flee
into the mountains."
Just before the Seven Last
Plagues begin to fall God's people must flee away from the cities. Lot was told to go into the
mountains. God does not want His people
to lose out in entering the kingdom so He gives this warning.
Luke 21:34 says, “And take
heed to yourselves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with
surfeiting, and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and so that
day come upon you unawares."
Lot's children did this and
they were destroyed with Sodom. God wants us to "Come out." Not only to come out from
the defiling influence of the big cities but from anything will that
hinder us from entering into the glorious city.
Now I am going to read that
text once again:
Luke 17:28,29, " Likewise also
as it was in the days of Lot: they did eat, they drank, they bought,
they sold, they planted, they builded, but the same day that Lot
went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and
destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the
day when the Son of man is revealed."
Verse 31. “In that day, he
which shall be upon his housetop, and his stuff in the house, let
him not come down to take it away; and he that is in the field, let
him likewise not return back.”
A Modern Day Lot's Wife
REMEMBER LOT’S WIFE. It is
one of the most solemn warnings given in the Bible.
Let me tell you about Mrs.
Garcia. You see, Mrs. Garcia, her husband and children were members
of the Seven-day Adventist church in a town situated on the west
coast of South America.
The family operated a
drapery store. They were not wealthy, nor poor, just good substantial church
members. They had been Adventists for
quite awhile. They were waiting for Christ to come.
One day a group of radio
artists in their town decided to broadcast a supposed invasion from
another planet. The script was planned and
practiced to perfection.
One night they transmitted
the program. The townspeople listened for a few horrified moments to
the realistic drama that poured from their radios. Then
they swarmed into the street, frightened and hysterical.
The Garcias had finished a busy
day and were sitting in
their lounge in the quiet evening. The radio was on. They too listened in shocked
amazement. Suddenly Mrs. Garcias jumped
to her feet and cried "Why, Christ is coming! She believed it. She was
positive of it. They quickly decided to run
to the church and wait for Jesus there.
Mr Garcia grabbed two of the
children and rushed out of the door. Mrs Garcia hurried along
behind. After several blocks Ma.
Garcia suddenly realized that his wife wasn't following. He turned in time to see her
running back toward the store. He shouted. She did not
hear. He turned and hurried back.
As he burst through the door he stopped in his tracks, eyes bulging
in disbelief at what he saw. Mrs Garcia was filling her
pockets with money from the till and grabbing some of the best rolls
of cloth to take with her! "Mother, what are you
doing?" he gasped. She
looked up, confused and breathless, and said, "Why, we can’t leave these
behind.
Remember Lot's
Wife
Friends
remember the words of Jesus. "In that day, he which shall
be upon his housetop, and his stuff in the house, let him not come
down to take it away; and he that is in the field, let him likewise
not return back."
REMEMBER LOT'S WIFE.
Yes,
we need to do just that. We who are living in these last days should
give heed to the solemn warning of the Saviour. May God help us to
be ready and waiting. |
