Having No Regrets
Greetings in love, to my striving sister saints.
I hope you are all standing strong and pressing on through the trials of this life, of which are many.
I'm thankful for our faithful sisters who share His precious Word, thank you sister.
Today I wanted to talk about not having any regrets and in this I'm referring to the sharing of the life saving GOSPEL. I've written on this in the past and I think it's a good time to do so again, as us sisters are always reminding ourselves of various topics because our flesh can so easily sweep us away.
Let's read about the watchman warning about the impending doom to come to those who won't repent and then see how that relates to us today in our world, of many who won't repent.
Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman:
If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people;
Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.
He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.
But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.
So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me.
When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.
Ezekiel 33:2-9
I know we can't warn everyone in the world and we have a role we must keep ourselves in as godly women but have we done all we can with those we know, to share the gospel and call them out of their sins into repentance and new life in Christ? Have we used or looked for every opportunity we can to call them out into the glorious light of Christ? If we look at how God dealt with the Israelites, He sent prophet after prophet to call them out and warn them, showing grace and mercy in His patience. Have we done all we can as a people who have the precious words of life, today?
Having no regrets.
I just got news today that my mom is in the hospital with a serious condition of which she might soon lose her life (if it's the Lord's will that it's her time) and I immediately sought through my mind to see if there was anything left unsaid or undone that I would do differently today in warning them and sharing the gospel. I can't say that there is because I (we) tried for years to talk to both my mom and dad (and other family members) but they want nothing to do with the truth, they only want to believe the lies of man made religion and that everyone will go to heaven if they just believe. (This same scenario played out with my brother who died several years ago, rejecting the truth of God.) I used to think that maybe I tried for too long (years off and on via email) to reach my parents but then I see that God called and called Israel to repentance, not after just one time. All situations are different and some you may get (or make) more opportunities than others so there's no black or white (yet not be casting God's pearls) but what we must do is be sure we have a pure heart before the Lord in all this. A pure heart that we have done all we can and there's no blood on our hands and the warning was clearly sounded and the path of truth shown.
Brother Jim and I have stood among thousands and thousands (un-numbered multitudes) of people over the years and preached, entreated, called out to and warned about the wrath of God to come and we see much death and destruction as they laugh, mock and walk down the wide road. It's very sad and sometimes I still have to fight from crying while on the streets, seeing it up close like that because they too are someone's mom, dad, aunt, uncle, son, daughter etc. Yes, believers mature in this area to where we can learn to look ahead and not at all the casualties but there are times when it becomes up close and personal (with someone we know). We have to be prepared for that sisters, people we love will die without Christ if they don't repent and it can hurt. God is a righteous and just God and what people get in the end will be just as God has said...
But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: [8] But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
For there is no respect of persons with God.
Romans 2:5-11
This morning I would have had regrets if I went with my flesh. I went into the store for some water and I had asked the Lord if there might be someone to witness to. It came to mind that I should look to approach someone (using brother Jim's suggestions about thanking a worker and then sharing the gospel) but my flesh didn't really want to do that. I immediately felt terrible because of that quick thought that came to me and I killed my flesh and after getting my water, went diligently looking for an opportunity. I found a way to open up an opportunity by asking a worker for something that I'd been looking for (for a couple weeks now) and they didn't have it but I had a gospel card ready and she got it. She didn't seem overly thankful in her attitude but she did thank me and put it in her pocket....who knows what will come of that. (That may be someone's mom.) Had I not killed my flesh and been obedient, I would have walked out with regrets and a burden on my heart. Interestingly enough, a couple hours after that happened I got that message about my mom.
I did message back to the one who reached out to me with the news about my mom, and said we would be happy to drive there and visit to share the blessed hope of the gospel through Christ (again) and what an awesome thing that would be and all they have to do is let us know.
My parents have been life long Lutherans and living a life of hypocritical sinfulness, wanting nothing to do with me and my new life in Christ. Just like my brother died (after I reached out several more times with the truth) hating the Word of God, so it seems that way with my mom. I'm still waiting to see what their answer is.
The deception is all around isn't it sisters? I use that a lot on the streets when I witness to women, sharing how the deception is great in these last days and we have to dig deeper and past what we 'know' or have been taught. We, obedient sisters, are a shining light to those who might be seeking for truth but wrestling with their flesh over some of the doctrines. The cost is great though isn't it? We lost our parents, most of our children, all our relatives, all our friends....to serve Christ.
Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.
For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
And a man's foes shall be they of his own household.
Matthew 10:34-36
Christ came to divide His own from those who are not His. Do you have someone who has separated from you because they claim you are in sin and may be deceived? They have tried to show you the errors of your ways (pagan Christmas, Easter, other man made holidays, the need to cover your head and biblically dress, submission, false doctrines of calvanism - once saved always saved- fleshly music etc) and you won't repent or even dig into the scriptures to see what the truth is? If that's the case then you are in grave danger of hellfire just like my unrepentant mom is if she dies in that state. You can have all things right but cling to one lie and you will be left outside the gates of heaven.
Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. Revelation 22:14-15
Grace? Did someone say 'What about God's grace?' What about it? You have His grace right now that He hasn't cast His wrath upon you long ago in your sins. That grace does not carry over after death unless it's the grace through being in Christ. That means we are in ALL TRUTH and striving for it, not just doing what we want and being lazy about obedience.
One lie....
*Christmas is a lie. If you practice it and don't repent you will die in your sins.
* Easter is a lie. If you practice it and don't repent you will die in your sins.
* Long hair as a covering for women is a lie. If you practice it and don't repent you will die in your sins.
* Adorned and unbiblical clothing is a lie. If you practice it and don't repent you will die in your sins.
* Feminism is a lie. If you practice it and don't repent you will die in your sins.
* Not submitting to male authority is a lie. If you practice it and don't repent you will die in your sins.
* Believing that you can never fall away and God has forgiven your future sins is a lie. If you practice it and don't repent you will die in your sins.
* It's okay to love fleshly music is a lie. If you practice it and don't repent you will die in your sins.
* It's okay to entertain yourself with the ways of the world is a lie. (Sports, movies, worldly activities etc.) If you practice it and don't repent you will die in your sins.
* Not being held accountable for being deceived is a lie. If you practice it and don't repent you will die in your sins.
Let me expound on the 'being deceived part'. Eve was held accountable for her sin of being deceived. Don't think you will get off the hook by blaming someone else for deceiving you, God will hold us all accountable like He did Eve. See a post on that HERE.
The list of 'one lie' is so long for the sake of time I think I listed enough her that should strike fear in someone to get going and make sure they too have not been deceived.
I, once again, sounded the trumpet of warning to those of you (and those who I know of from the past) are reading this and are not in biblical obedience. You will die and go to hell in your unrepentant sins if you don't quickly repent. You don't know if the Lord will require your life tonight and I don't want you to spend eternity in hell, weeping and gnashing your teeth in regret for not fully surrendering and obeying this awesome Holy God who created you.
I want my sisters in Christ to have no regrets and so I encourage you to all examine your life and remember to do so going forward every day, to see if we are doing all we can for the kingdom of God. I was that lost person out there, so were you... would you want someone to do all they could to pull you from the flames of hell before it was too late? This is not to make anyone feel bad that can't do as much as others, we just have to be faithful in the life the Lord has called us to is all I'm trying to say.
If we have done all we can each day in what the Lord has given us to do this day, we can be content that we have no regrets when we lay our head down for the night.
Let me know how I can encourage you in the faith or help pull you from the flames.
In much godly love,
Sister Deb
(Thank you sister for the scripture pictures:-)