The Church in Prophecy, Joel 2:28-32

I have been preaching a small series of lessons on the New Testament Church in Prophecy. The first two dealt with the prophecies from Isaiah 2:2-4 and Daniel 2:44. This coming Sunday I will present the third and final of those lessons from the passage of Joel 2:28-32. While I am not covering the prophecy in totality, I hope some of the points from the sermon will be helpful and thought provoking to you.

The Church in Prophecy, Part 3
Joel 2:28-32

If we said we were going to pour a glass of water, we can physically see that being done. We can see the water leave the pitcher and go into the glass which we then can drink. The concept of pouring is not a difficult one to grasp, because we see it done all the time. We pour drinks, paint, laundry detergent and other items on an everyday basis. If we can understand all of that, show me how God's Spirit is poured out upon His people. You can't show me! Well, don't worry because I can't show you either, because it's a spiritual concept that we're not meant to understand. However, it is something that is important in our lives because it's something that's been done to us by God to those who have been obedient to His Gospel message. We find this concept in a prophecy about the church from Joel 2:28-32. It reads:
"'And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon to blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls."
As we take a look at this prophecy, I had some observations about what this meant for the church.
The Church Would Receive a Pouring Out of God's Spirit
During the time of the Old Covenant, God had the Israelites make a tabernacle because he wanted to dwell among His people (Ex. 25:8). Hebrews 9:7 tells us that the high priest would only go into the Holy of Holies (Most Holy Place) one time a year, on the Day of Atonement. The room where the ark of the covenant dwelt was indeed a special place. Even on the Day of Atonement the high priest would have specific ritualistic requirements that had to be fulfilled before he could come into the presence of God before the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant (Ex. 16:1ff). The Israelites knew that God dwelt among them as they even saw the cloud over the tabernacle by day and the pillar of fire by night (Ex. 40:34ff.). After the tabernacle came the establishment of the temple which became a stationary house of God.
This prophecy from Joel would drastically change how God dwelt among His people. When Joel states that God would pour out His Spirit on all flesh, we can notice a couple of changes. First, the children of God would not be exclusive to a particular race of people. Jews and Gentiles would eventually both be part of the family of God. Though God established his covenant with Abraham and his descendants, he first made a promise to him that "in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Gen. 12:3). God was referring to the coming Messiah descending from Abraham's lineage who would provide a blessing for everyone, including Gentiles. Jesus told his disciples "Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem" (Lk. 24:46-47). The church started out with Jews as its intended recipients, but it was not to stay that way. Peter, who preached to the Jews on the Day of Pentecost, later took the Gospel to the Gentiles when he converted Cornelius, his household and his friends who had gathered to hear Peter's message in Acts 10.
Second, God would now dwell among His people through His Spirit. The physical temple of God was no longer where God would dwell. The new covenant which would be enacted would make our bodies the temple of God. This is really twofold, as Paul deals with this in 1 Cor. 3 & 6 as he mentions the church and our physical bodies being the temple of God. Whereas under the old covenant the priests were the only ones to enter the tabernacle and the temple, we are now part of the priesthood of believers (1 Pet. 2:5,9). What a blessing it is knowing that God poured forth His Spirit upon us.
The Spirit Would Provide the Church with Miraculous Gifts
There are times today when people reply to something great happening by saying "it's a miracle!" Well, was it really, or was it just something fantastic that caused them to say that? If you do a study of the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit from the New Testament, it is clear there would come a point in time where they would cease. That time has already passed, as we read in 1 Cor. 13:8-10, along with the understanding of how these gifts were received as well. However, God did enable the church in the first century to have special gifts.
Joel prophesied that the church would be able to prophesy. Prophecy was one of the miraculous gifts. Paul says "And God has appointed in the church fist apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, helping, administrating, and various kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all possess gifts of healing? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret?" (1 Cor. 12:28-30). He also says "Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith..." (Rom. 12:6). The early church clearly had miraculous gifts given by the Spirit, and prophecy was one of them. This was not only fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost as recorded in Acts 2, but it was also fulfilled throughout the first century. In Acts 21:9-10 we read about the evangelist, Phillip who had four unmarried daughters who were prophetesses, and there is a prophet named Agabus who came from Judea to make a prophecy about Paul. Prophecy was a big part of the early church that came to pass just as Joel mentioned.
Whoever Calls on the Name of the Lord Will Be Saved
I heard James Watkins give an excellent lesson one time at a Gospel Meeting at the Gordonsburg Church of Christ on the subject of calling on the name of the Lord. He took the subject and examined it from the entire scope of the Bible, showing that it is much more than many people advocate. Calling on the name of the Lord does not indicate that anyone who verbally calls out the name of the Lord will be saved. Jesus touched on this subject in Mt. 7:21 when He said "'Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.'" Obedience is implied in this prophecy of Joel's and it is echoed by what Jesus said in the sermon on the mount.
Peter told the multitude on the Day of Pentecost to repent and be baptized according to Acts 2:38. This came after the multitude knew that something had to be done. Saul of Tarsus called on the name of the Lord by being baptized when Ananias uttered these words to him: "'And now why do you wait? Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name'" (Acts 22:16). Calling on the name of the Lord is essential for salvation. Consider what Paul says: "because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Rom. 10:9).
Thanks be to God that we have a record of the fulfillment of this prophecy of Joel's in Acts 2, as we see the establishment of the church that first Pentecost after the ascension of Christ. Not only were they fulfilled then, but they also apply for us today in the sense that the church does receive the pouring out of God's Spirit and that those who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Are you among the number of the saved today who have the Spirit of God in you?

Preview of In the Woods

Hey everyone, I was working on a fictional hunting novel, for the outdoorsmen out there who might be interested. I was wondering if you would give me some feedback on whether you think this is enjoyable reading. The book is titled In the Woods. Thanks!

Prologue

It was dark, so dark the hunter couldn’t see his hand in front of his face.

“Was it gone yet?” he wondered to himself as he sat motionless in his tree stand. Normally he would have been back at the house twenty minutes ago, but tonight was different. Whatever was out there in the pitch black had let out a piercing howl which nearly knocked him out of his stand right at dark, and he probably would have fallen out had it not been for his safety harness. He had been too frozen to move since he heard it, and he for sure wasn't getting down out of the tree.

It was the same frightening noise he had heard that morning that sent the deer scattering everywhere, but this time as it got dark, he was really afraid. He was literally shaking the tree as he sat glued to his seat.

Welcome to the world of Robert Jackson. Just what had him so scared out of his mind that he couldn’t get down out of the tree? You’ll have to read this book to find out. However, along the way you’ll learn about the Jackson family and the woods around their house in southern middle Tennessee. Pull up a chair and prepare to be gripped with fear as you go “In the Woods!”

Chapter 1                   The Hunt

Robert had been dreaming about this day all summer as he saw it drawing nearer every day that passed. He would even take a red pen and cross off the days to get a feel for how close he was getting to opening day of archery season for deer in Tennessee. He had his trail cameras out in various spots to help him keep on eye on what was out there in the woods. He had all his gear arranged so he would be ready for that day. He had even been practicing every available moment so he would be ready for that shot. He believed in what one of his coaches had taught him at some point in his life: proper preparation prevents poor performance.

“Many things I might be, but unprepared is not one of them” he would say.

As the day before season rolled around, Errica, his wife was cooking supper that night.

“What’s for supper?” he asked.

“Vegetable soup and cornbread” Errica replied.

Robert loved her soup and cornbread, enough to even momentarily forget about hunting the next day. It was at this moment the three kids came down from playing upstairs to wash up for supper. Charlie was eleven, Spencer was eight and Brittney was five.

“Is it ready yet?” hollered Brittney.

“I’m hungry” yelled Charlie.

“What are we having?” asked Spencer.

“Yes it’s ready, and if you’re hungry come eat this vegetable soup and cornbread!” said Errica.

Robert knew it was great to spend this family time together before he embarked on his big hunt the next day. 

“I heard you got a pic of Big Boy” said Charlie, talking about the big buck Robert had caught on the trail camera.

“Yes, he just never seems to show up at a consistent time, though” replied Robert.

Robert had dreamed about this buck since he saw him last year on the opening day of rifle season chasing a doe. Running through the woods, the big buck never offered him a shot. This year, he hoped it would be different.

The next morning Robert’s alarm clock sounded at 5:00 and his feet hit the floor. Having already laid his clothes out, it didn’t take him long before he was ready to stroll out the door and into the woods around their house. It was very convenient to be hunting so close to the house. They bought 100 acres three years ago, and Robert made sure it was managed properly.

After a ten minute walk, Robert arrived before daylight at his treestand in the corner of the bean field. As he climbed the steps attached to the cedar tree, he made his way into the seat at the top and attached his safety harness. Making sure he had his pack looped over the last step of the ladder, Robert pulled his bow up with his haul line. After getting settled in, Robert’s eyes scanned the field for any signs of movement as he noticed it was starting to break light.

Two hours had gone by before Robert caught a glimpse of some deer walking along the far edge of the field feeding on the beans. There were two does, but no bucks. He still had some meat in the freezer from last season, but if they presented a shot without him seeing any sign of a buck, he might just have to put one down.

All of a sudden, the sound of antlers crashing came to his attention. Two bucks made their way into the corner of the field where the does came out. Their antlers were locked together in a sparring match, kicking up dust and the hair was standing up on their backs. This was true entertainment in the woods after seeing nothing for a few hours. 

Positioned about seventy yards from the bucks, Robert knew they were too far for a shot. Something was going to have to give to provide him with an opportunity for the kill. The two bucks eventually stopped at a standstill and stared each other down.

At that very moment, a deafening scream from some kind of wild animal sent the deer into a frenzy, and they went scurrying off in all directions. Robert felt as though he needed to change his pants after hearing such a noise. A few moments later there was a commotion followed by some kind of death moan, as it seemed that whatever made that horrendous scream or howl had caught one of the deer.

“What was that?” he thought, bewildered from the experience and mad that the deer had been spooked by whatever had made such a racket. Having sat there stunned about  another ten minutes, he realized he needed to call it a morning. Descending from the stand, he was leary as he wondered if it was anything he needed to be afraid of.

“Nonsense” he said to himself, “there’s nothing to be afraid of out here.”

As he was about to cross the creek on the way back to the house, he saw a track.

“I don’t know what that is, but I’ve never seen anything like it around here” said Robert as he compared the size of his hand to this track. He grimaced as his hand fit inside the track of this beast. Whatever was out there had his attention, and he had a feeling it wouldn’t be long until he had some kind of encounter with the creature. Little did he know that this evening’s hunt would be soon enough.

An Indestructible Kingdom

You probably have the image etched in your mind. The day that Saddam Hussein's statue came crashing to the ground on April 9, 2003 in Firdos Square, Baghdad, Iraq. It was a symbol to everyone around the world that Hussein's regime in Iraq was over. As was reported by Paul Wood, journalist for BBC, "Saddam's 25 year death grip over Iraq had been broken; the suffocating sense of fear had been lifted" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3611869.stm).
I thought about that statue the other day when contemplating the dream that Nebuchadnezzar had in Daniel 2. Nebuchadnezzar had a dream of a great image that was mighty and of exceeding brightness and had a frightening appearance. It had a head of gold, chest and arms of silver, middle and thighs of bronze and legs of iron with feet partly of iron and partly of clay. A stone was cut out by no human hand which struck the image on its feet, breaking them in pieces, along with the entire image. It "became as the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth" (Dan. 2:35). Daniel informed the King that the head of gold represented his kingdom, the Babylonians. The chest and arms of silver represented the next kingdom, the Medo-Persians. The middle and thighs of bronze represented the next kingdom, the Greeks. The legs of iron which was to be stronger than all of these other kingdoms would crush them, and this was the Roman Empire. It would be in the days of the fourth kingdom that God would set up His kingdom which would never be destroyed. He goes on to say that this kingdom would "break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever..." (Dan. 2:44).
We know that that God's kingdom in this prophecy is the church. Unlike this image that was broken to pieces and scattered in the wind or the image of Saddam Hussein's statue being pulled down and broken, the church will never be destroyed. Jesus even spoke of this aspect of the kingdom when He said to Peter "...upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not overpower it" (Mt. 16:18). Not even the death of the Son of God would stand in the way of accomplishing this goal; rather, God would raise Him from the dead to accomplish this goal and use this as the centerpiece of the gospel message to establish the church. Isn't it great knowing that almost 2,000 years later the church is still here just like God said it would be? The church, God's kingdom, is truly indestructible.

A Message of Comfort

I think we were all affected in some way by the recent tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT. All of us who saw news footage of the aftermath of such a horrific event react in different ways. Some are mad, some are heartbroken and others maybe are even bewildered trying to understand why something like this could happen. In this world where we live there have been other such tragedies that our minds might go back to upon hearing the news, such as the events at Columbine, Westside Middle School in Arkansas or maybe even the Virginia Tech shooting. There are other tragedies like these that have occurred in the last several years, and each of them has their own heartbreaking story. With all of this in mind, I thought I would share some thoughts as we sift through the latest tragic debris from the Sandy Hook shooting.

I have seen several people on TV and Facebook ask "why" when nobody can really give a good answer for that. The news media has tried to give us details about the shooter, and some of that information has even changed in the days since the news coverage began on this horrific event. Though there will be many different types of people who will attempt to give explanations as to why this happened, I simply want to go back to God's Word to illuminate some of His truths that we ought to remember.

This is a bad world in which we live. I'm not talking about the physical creation by God; I'm simply talking about the effects that Satan has on people in this world. There are people in this world who should look back to some of the words of the Apostle John; if they would put his words into practice, this world would look a lot different than it does today. John says "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us" (1 Jn. 4:7-12). This love that John is talking about is agape, which is sacrificial love. Christ was the ultimate example of this when he laid down his life for all of us. This kind of love takes the focus off of ourself and seeks what is good for someone else. In other words, we are practicing this when we are putting their needs above ours.

The Lord's brother, James says "You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel" (Jas. 4:2). Though James is not saying this is the case with every murder, I think it shows you how bad things happen in our lives when we are focused on ourselves and not other people. The type of love that John commands us to put into practice takes the focus off of us and will not allow these feelings within people who want to take the life of others. John also comments on motives for murder when he says "For this is the message that you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own deeds were evil and his brother's righteous. Do not be surprised, brothers, that the world hates you. We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love abides in death. Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him" (1 Jn. 3:11-15). Again you can see that sacrificial love would keep things like this from happening. John goes on to say "If anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother" (1 Jn. 4:20-21).

Cain had the opportunity to avoid his course of action. "The Lord said to Cain, 'Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it'" God knew that Cain was very angry with Abel. The tragedy could have been avoided if Cain had not let his emotions get the best of him. Instead of overcoming the sin, the sin overcame him. Too many bad things happen in this world because people are overcome by their sinful desires. I'm not going to go into a discussion of how mental illnesses come into play in scenarios like these, because I don't know what the mental status of the individual who committed this crime. That being said, God knows the whole situation. It was a tragedy, and nothing you can determine about the shooter will change the fact that these precious, innocent little children had their lives taken from them way too early.

It reminds me of a couple of events in the Bible, though the context is different. In the beginning of Exodus when the Hebrews were multiplying and the Egyptians were fearful of them the Pharaoh issued the edict to have all the male children killed. The midwives did not follow through with these orders and gave excuses to Pharaoh, and God dealt well with them, even giving them families. However, Pharaoh commanded all the male sons who were born to the Hebrews to be cast into the Nile (Ex. 1:8-22). We know that it is in the midst of this story that Moses was born. We don't know how many newborn boys lost their lives, but I'm sure it was a horrific event to the Hebrews. Later another story of horror unfolds as the baby, Jesus is born. Herod had been tricked by the wise men when they didn't return to tell him the location of the child who had been born, so he commanded that boys two years old and younger in Bethlehem were to be slaughtered (Mt. 2:16). One can only imagine how awful of a scene this was as Matthew records this as a fulfillment of a prophecy of Jeremiah's when he writes "'A voice was heard in Ramah, weeping and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be comforted, because they are no more'" (Mt. 2:18).

One of the important messages in all of this is that God is aware, He cares and He is in control. God doesn't make all of these events happen, but he allows them to take place. If you remember from the story of Job, when Job lost his possessions, his family and his health, it was not caused by God but by Satan. God simply allowed it to happen and He set the parameters (Job 1 & 2). God works through different situations in our lives. Sometimes the verse in Romans can be taken out of context, but consider the words of Paul: "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose" (Rom. 8:28). This is something we don't always understand nor do always see the end result of what Paul is discussing in our lifetime. God is constantly working behind the scenes according to His will.

In the midst of this tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School, let us remember that bad things do happen in this world. President Obama said in his address on television a few days ago that some things were going to have to change. As I heard him say that, I wondered why no one in Washington has done anything about putting prayer back in the public school systems. That is a change that needs to happen, because God has been removed from the schools. Is it any wonder that Satan is working through individuals to harm these precious, innocent children and those working with them when we realize that God has been taken out of the equation? If we want change, let's start with the One who can change the world!

At Odds with Each Other

The other day I had a friend come over to the house to pick up a couple of female cats to transport to his barn. He told me he had a rat problem, and I assured him they could handle that job. My father-in-law brought a female cat of his own over ahead of time in a cage, which was a siamese bob-tailed cat. When David arrived at the house we transferred the siamese cat over to his cage where we could get my father-in-law's cage back to him. That process went smoothly. Getting the other cats in that cage was a different story altogether.
I caught the first cat of mine and proceeded to stick her down in the cage. You would have thought a war started as the cats were hissing, screaming, swatting at each other and a ruckus had ensued. As if that wasn't bad enough, I caught my other cat and put her in the cage once all the malay settled down. Once she got in it started all over again and appeared to be World War III! Both boys were standing right there watching it all, Caroline was watching from the kitchen window and David's son, Alex was standing there with my boys and they were absolutely loving it. Those three cats had been forced into a small space with each other and they were not happy about it.
It reminds me of how that scene is applied to the church at times. Especially when the church has gathered under the same roof and there are people who are at odds with each other, it doesn't make for an ideal situation. Jesus gave his disciples a new commandment, "that you love one another" (John 13:34). John goes on to say in his first letter "if anyone says, 'I love God,' and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother" (1 John 4:20-21). Euodia and Syntyche were in a disagreement about something at the church in Philippi and Paul wanted this fixed (Phil. 4:2-3). We can't faithfully serve the Lord if we're at odds with each other.
Bob Sweeney used to talk all the time about "this human condition" and we see how that applies to the church. Those of us who are members of the body of Christ at times let our emotions and personalities get in the way of loving one another like we should. Let us remember that we are all in this together. Paul says "rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love" (Eph. 4:15-16). We can't do this if we are at odds with each other.
Have you been in a "cat fight" with someone where you haven't made the effort to fix the problem? The time is now to repair what needs fixing. If you're like these cats in the cage then your soul is in jeopardy. Brothers and sisters, let us not be at odds with each other. If we fight like cats down here what makes us think that we can live together harmoniously in Heaven?

Ignoring the Word of the Lord

Michael David Cohen had ignored all the warnings. A great white shark had been spotted on the beach in Cape Town, South Africa, sirens had sounded, the white flag was flying, the beach was closed but he swam out fifty yards from the beach anyway. You don't need too vivid of an imagination to guess what had the potential of happening. The shark attacked this man taking off both of his legs. Anybody with common sense would tell you he shouldn't have ignored the warnings. As important as it is to listen to what people say at times, isn't it even more important to listen to the Word of the Lord? This morning we'll look at the story of Jeremiah to see what happens when you ignore the Word of the Lord when he was being ignored by King Zedekiah.
Jeremiah was a prophet of God.
Prophets in the Old Testament served two main purposes: they were forthtellers, proclaiming the Word of the Lord (i.e. Zech. 1:1-3) and they were foretellers, prophesying what was to come (i.e. Deut. 18:5). Jeremiah prophesied from 628-586. He began his work as a prophet in the thirteenth year of King Josiah and he served until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah when Jerusalem was captured by Babylon. He is known as the weeping prophet, evidenced by the terminology in Jer. 9:1. He was persecuted and ignored. Consider the following evidence in his book: Pashhur had him beaten and put in stocks because he didn't want to hear what Jeremiah was saying (Jer. 20:1-2); the priests and prophets wanted him killed when he was spoke in the name of the Lord (Jer. 26:11); Jehoiakim took the scroll on which Jeremiah had written the words of the Lord and cut it into pieces and threw them into the fire (Jer. 36:23); the officials beat and imprisoned him when they thought he was trying to flee to the Chaldeans (Jer. 37:15). Jeremiah was simply doing what God wanted him to do by proclaiming the Word of the Lord as His prophet.
Zedekiah refused to listen to Jeremiah.
In much the same manner as the others who didn't want to hear the Word of the Lord, Zedekiah acted no differently. Jeremiah had already warned Zedekiah in chapter thirty-seven that he would be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon (17ff.). When several of the people heard that Jeremiah was saying that all who stayed in the city would die, Zedekiah allowed them to put Jeremiah in the cistern where he sank in the mud (Jer. 38:1-6). When Zedekiah asked Jeremiah for a word from the Lord, Jeremiah told him to surrender to the Chaldeans (Jer. 38:17ff.). However, when Jeremiah's warning came true and the Babylonians besieged Jerusalem, Zedekiah and all his soldiers fled out of the city by night (Jer. 39:4). He ignored the Word of the Lord that was given to him through Jeremiah.
I remember a time when my brother, Chris ignored my parents. It was a winter day and there was ice on the roads. My parents were needing to go somewhere and they left my brother and I at home. Before they left they gave specific instructions for us not to go anywhere, but to stay put in the house. If I recall my brother had just started driving. Not long after they left, my brother took a .22 rifle out of the gun cabinet. I said "where do you think you're going?" He told me that he was going squirrel hunting with a friend. When I reminded him of what our parents had warned us not to do, he didn't pay it any attention. A bit of time passed when I glanced out the window to see a wrecker truck with the blue GMC Jimmy that he was driving on the back. Mom and Dad were on their way back to the house when they saw blue lights ahead of them. Dad jokingly said "that's probably Chris." It turns out he was right. Chris had hit a patch of black ice after he picked up his friend and the vehicle flipped over in the ditch. I remember hearing several conversations between them concerning him ignoring what they told us that day. Bad things happened because he ignored them.
Bad Things Happen When We Ignore the Word of the Lord.
Consider the bad things that happened to Zedekiah because he ignored the Word of the Lord: he was captured in the plains of Jericho, his sons were slaughtered before his eyes, the nobles of Judah were slaughtered, his eyes were blinded, he was put in chains, the houses were burned, the walls were broken and the rest of the people left in the city were exiled to Babylon (Jer. 39:5-9). All of this that happened to Zedekiah and Jerusalem could have been avoided if he had listened to the Word of the Lord from Jeremiah.
In much the same way people today don't listen to the Word of the Lord. They ignore the plan of salvation in God's Word. They ignore what God's Word says about homosexuality. They ignore that Hell is a real place according to God's Word and that those who ignore the Word of the Lord will go there as eternal punishment. These are just some examples, but I think you get the idea. Bad things happen when people ignore the Word of the Lord.
Have you ignored the Word of the Lord lately? We can see over and over again in the Bible that God is not to be ignored. Consider the following passages from the book of Jeremiah: Jer. 6:10; 8:9; 9:12-14. What a travesty it is when people ignore God and go their own way. Keep in mind that bad things happen when we ignore the Word of the Lord!

King Forever?

Recently there has been a lot of turmoil over who is in charge. When a presidential election takes place where the incumbent wins, there are going to be people unhappy because they wanted a change. Even though another four-year term will pass with the same leadership in place, at least there will be another democratic election at the end of that term to put a different public official in the highest office of the United States. Some people have been crying for change with the University of Tennessee football program. Regardless of what the outcome is for their current coach, rest assured that the status of the program will not stay this way forever. We know that with elected officials and coaches that their tenure is not forever.

However, there is a kingdom which does have an unlimited tenure. The kingdom that we know as the church was prophesied in Daniel 2:44 as the kingdom that the God of heaven would set up that would never be destroyed. Christ is now the head of the church (Eph. 5:23), reigning from Heaven at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 10:12). Once the end of this world has come and death has been abolished, Christ will hand this authority back to the Father according to 1 Corinthians 15:24. Isn't it wonderful knowing we will never have to worry about having concerns about leadership in Heaven? Rulers in this world are human beings. They will make mistakes. They will make decisions we don't agree with. They will let us down at times. Don't let earthly leadership thwart your picture of heavenly leadership. God and His Son will never provide reason for turmoil in their rule over us. John reminds us of the eternal nature of God's kingdom in Revelation 5:13 when he writes '"To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever."'