Greetings from Kalispell!

We feel very blessed to live in Montana.  Especially on a day like Friday when the sun was shining and temperatures in the 40 degree range seemed warm, and indication that the harshness of the bitter cold winter may be over and spring is coming.

Yet as we look at the news we see things that soberly remind us that all is not well.  I hope it makes us all groan and mourn for all the suffering we see around us.  It reminds me of what is written in Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 9:4 ESV - And the LORD said to him, "Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it."

The Hebrew word that is translated abomination is use 43 times in the book of Ezekiel - more than any other book in the Old Testament. It describes all the violence and evil, yes the sin,  that is being done around us today, both in this state and the entire nation we all love.  People may not think that God sees it, but he does. At this point in the book of Ezekiel God has no more patience and takes action, killing those that commit the abominations,  Ezekiel is concerned, thinking none will be left. Below we see God's response to Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 9:9 NLT - Then he said to me, "The sins of the people of Israel and Judah are very, very great. The entire land is full of murder; the city is filled with injustice. They are saying, 'The LORD doesn't see it! The LORD has abandoned the land!'
Ezekiel 9:10 NLT - So I will not spare them or have any pity on them. I will fully repay them for all they have done."

What Ezekiel is describing was called the wrath to come by John the baptist. And he told the people they needed to repent.

Matthew 3:7 NKJV - But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Matthew 3:8 NKJV - "Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,

He told people to repent because the kingdom of God was coming:

Matthew 3:2 NKJV - and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

We have the same job to do that John the baptist did - to proclaim a warning message, and to give a witness that the Kingdom of God is at hand.  And that to be part of that Kingdom and to be spared the "wrath to come" people need to repent.   [I urge you to read UCG President Rick Shabi's letter in this week's Home Office Update at https://www.ucg.org/members/news/home-office-weekly-update-february-22-2024]

Some may have doubts about whether we can believe what the Bible says about what it coming. (I hope that is not you!)   As we read during the Wednesday night bible study, Peter tells us we have a sure word of prophecy.   See https://ucg-mt.org/bible-studies/epistles-of-peter/2-peter-112-21-peters-eyewitness-account/   

What did Peter mean?    He was writing at another very "dark" time, as Roman Emperor Nero was persecuting Christians and just before the destruction and fall of Jerusalem. In the last verses of 2 Peter chapter 1 he tells us what they witnesses was true. That he saw it with his own eyes!   He is telling anyone who will listen to what he is saying that what the Old Testament prophesied about Jesus was absolutely TRUE. That it came to pass.  And because of all the things, the events he saw come to pass and be fulfilled in the prophesies of Jesus Christ, we therefore have a sure word of prophecy!  In other words, since all of what he witnessed was true we can also absolutely believe that the rest of prophecy is true, too, and it will come to pass!  Both about the second coming of Jesus as the Messiah, and about the end time events leading up to his return.

We are living in a "dark" time and we need to be reading and devouring the word of God.  That is what Peter is beseeching us to do!  Just as he was telling Christians what they needed to be doing then before the terrible persecution came.   It came to them, and it will come again, just before Christ returns.  

2 Peter 1:19 NLT - Because of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place--until the Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts.

What we see in scripture is that we have a job to do of proclaiming the gospel and warning the world they need to repent before the day of wrath comes.  We can find both comfort and encouragement in the word of God - the Bible!

Wishing you all a good Sabbath!

Warm regards to all,

Dan

PS In Ezekiel 9:6 we read that all those that cried and sighed over the abominations they saw around them were spared and not destroyed.