LESSON LEARNED #16 - URGENCY OF THE TIMES

The last few days I've been deeply moved by what I believe to be a "WARNING" from God Almighty. As a retired pastor, I guess you could call me what is described in the Bible as a "WATCHMAN". Based on that title, I was led to a passage from the book of Ezekiel chapter 3 verses 17-21 and as you read this passage - perhaps you can see why I'm turning my postings from now on to messages relating to the URGENCY OF THE TIMES.

Ezekiel 3: 17-21 "At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me. Son of man, I have appointed you a sentry (watchman) for the people of Israel. Listen to what I say, then deliver My warning to them. If I send this message to a wicked person - "You will die" - but then you fail to warn him or help him to reconsider his wickedness so that he may not die, then he will die as a result of his evil deeds. It will be your fault for not warning him. His blood will be on your hands. But if you do forewarn a wicked person and give him My message, and yet he does not change his wicked thoughts and actions, then he will die as a result of his evil deeds. But you will have saved your own life by doing what I directed. Or again, when a righteous person turns his back on righteousness n falls into evil, then I will place a stumbling block before him, and he will surely die as well. Since you haven't alerted him, he will die for his evil ways. None of the righteous things he did will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for his death. But if you do forewarn a righteous person not go give into sin, and he does not sin, he will certainly live because he listened to your warning, and you will have saved your own life by doing what I directed.

You may say that the reason I'm taking on this challenge by God to be true to my role as "watchman" is that I'm concerned about my own salvation - you'd be right - that is certainly one reason. But there is so much more. We are living in a time when I believe, God is preparing to Judge our world for our "Godlessness" and our "sinfulness". And a time when our opportunities to get right with HIM may be growing short.

I have family, friends, neighbours and acquaintances who are so oblivious of the "signs of the times" - so caught up in a world of political correctness - so unaware of the danger of dying without having recognized their need of a Saviour - so programmed to ignore GOD that my time from this day forward MUST BE better spent. You see I understand how easy it is to miss the truth - I walked in this darkness myself for the first 40 years of my life. But God reached down and led me to a place where I not only recognized my own sinfulness - my own need for a Saviour, but He led me to a WATCHMAN who did share the truth of the Gospel with me - who warned me AND now as I enjoy the retirement life - I must never forget - being a WATCHMAN never ends.

Over the next few posts I plan on sharing with you the significance of the URGENCY OF THE TIMES as we will look at some upcoming dates and how the Bible shows us what those dates mean - to us living here on earth in the year 2017.

I leave you with one verse of Scripture Genesis 1:14 - that will be the foundation of this upcoming teaching:

"And God said, Let there be light in the expanse of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as SIGNS to mark seasons and days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth." And it was so."

Some of the future dates we will look at are August 21, 2017; September 23, 2017; September 30, 2017; etc., however, in order to truly understand the significance of these dates, we will also be looking at times and events in the past such as the days of Jonah; the Crucifixion; WWI; etc. Stick with me and be amazed!!!

STEEM ON my friends.

I hope you will UPVOTE, COMMENT AND RESTEEM.