04 18 08 ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLE?

“The Lord will roar like a lion from Jerusalem. His voice will sound like thunder from Zion. The earth and sky will tremble. But the Lord will keep the people of Israel safe. He will be a place of safety for them.” (Joel 3:16 NIrV)

(News headlines from April 18, 2008)
WEST SALEM, Ill. (AP) Residents across the Midwest were awakened Friday by a 5.2 magnitude earthquake that rattled skyscrapers in Chicago's Loop and homes in Cincinnati but appeared to cause no major injuries or damage.
The quake just before 4:37 a.m. was centered six miles from West Salem, Ill., and 45 miles from Evansville, Ind. It was felt in such distant cities as Milwaukee, Des Moines, Iowa, and Atlanta, nearly 400 miles to the southeast. Experts say that with the much higher population in the Midwest, another major quake along the New Madrid fault zone could destroy buildings, bridges, roads and other infrastructure, disrupt communications and isolate areas.

Oh yes…the earth is rumbling! Question is, ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLE?

The verse from the prophet Joel speaks to the Nation of Israel, yet we can draw from it today as born-again believers. When our life is over or when the Lord returns, whichever comes first, we trust in our Savior’s protection. At the day of our salvation, we were sealed by His Holy Spirit as His children forever. We can therefore live through trials and tribulations, character assaults, financial woes, and challenging relationships, because we have the peace of God (living in His will) and peace with God (knowing our position is secured). The writer of Hebrews says it this way:

“At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens’."
(Hebrews 12:26 NIV)

The awesome power of God shakes mountains, but it cannot shake the kingdom in which true believers dwell. (Hebrews 12:28) The warning is concluded with the somber note that our God is a consuming fire. (Hebrews 12:29) When the Lord returns, it will do more than shake up a few dishes or cause a few bricks to crumble. He will gather those who belong to Him and the rest will be dealt eternal punishment…a consuming fire that is never quenched! It’s a choice we all will make prior to our physical death, prior to His coming. It’s a choice we must make today, because we don’t know what will happen tomorrow, even within the next hour! But if you like to gamble…with God…with your life…

ARE YOU READY TO RUMBLE?