15---The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place;
16---but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, until there was no remedy.
MATTHEW 23: 34-39...
34---“Therefore, behold, I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city,
35---so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
36---“Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.
37---“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling.
38---“Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!
39---“For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD!’”
God will be no loser in his glory at last, by the disobedience of men. If that delight of thine were cut off for wickedness, let us not be high-minded, but fear.
Our Lord declares the miseries the inhabitants of Jerusalem were about to bring upon themselves, but he does not notice the sufferings he was to undergo. A hen gathering her chickens under her wings, is an apt emblem of the Saviour's tender love to those who trust in him, and his faithful care of them. He calls sinners to take refuge under his tender protection, keeps them safe, and nourishes them to eternal life. The present dispersion and unbelief of the Jews, and their future conversion to Christ, were here foretold. Jerusalem and her children had a large share of guilt, and their punishment has been signal.
But ere long, deserved vengeance will fall on every church which is Christian in name only. In the mean time the Saviour stands ready to receive all who come to him. There is nothing between sinners and eternal happiness, but their proud and unbelieving unwillingness.
To LOVE *GOD* is to fear HIM, to listen to HIM, to follow HIM, to notice HIM in everything, and those HE sends, to learn more of HIM, to align to HIS WILL, to relinquish of the self, to grow, and to develop into new, improved character, and behaviours, to bear worthy fruit of HIM, and mostly, to REITERATE HIM, to SHINE of HIM, to REFLECT HIM, as we EXIST ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, TO HIS INSTRUCTION, which is LOVE ALIVE, and ACTIVE, and IS LIGHT SEARING THROUGH the darkest darkness of deception, oppression, and slavery to what is NOT THE TRUTH of our existence, FOR the good of others, and ultimately, FOR HIS GLORY!!!
There are huge numbers of people, from the beginning through the present date, who cry out to hearing what *GOD* has to say, not wanting to hear, or to be shown what is best for them, now, and forever! They don't WANT to be distracted from the distractions of the world, and they care less, right now, about what will become of them later...
To exist in the self REMOVES us from our TRUTH, as we place importance on the self OVER THE LORD, and exist to appease the senses, the mind, the body OVER HIS WILL, FOR our very soul, which BELONGS TO HIM, and which IS that which is granted LIFE, or death eternal! The self revels in the ways of the world, is hard-headed, stubborn, and resistant TO the spirit, and aspires to please itself more than even eternal LIFE! FOOLISH, and WILL find too many LOST in eternal consequences, for which no appeasement will be found!!!
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