Heed The Warnings From God

The story of Pharaoh reminds me so much of people I meet on the streets. Because he loved what he had in Egypt and all the wealth he had accumulated from it, what God wanted didn’t matter. Therefore, he continued to harden his heart no matter the consequences. So plagues came one after another, but still the hardness of his heart stopped him from allowing the children of Israel to go free. It didn’t matter how many times he would see his people suffer and die, his love for what he had, even though it was disintegrating before his eyes, still mattered most. This is like the people of this world, who love the things they have now and don’t want anybody to tell them to change anything about it. Change is a bad word when it comes to repentance and giving up a sinful lifestyle. Now, there are times that like the Pharaoh, hard times come and people are sorry for their sins for a while, or just until their pains are over. It is then that after things are better that they continue doing what they know is wrong. Here is a part of that story. It reads, 1“then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this death only. And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the Lord. And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.” (Exodus 10:16-20) So as you can see here, after he got his way, his true colors came out and he recounted what he said.

Along with the story of the Pharaoh in the Bible, there are many other warnings from God now that speak to us and our sinful lifestyle. As God has always done, he sees where we are off tract and tries to give us counsel. Though people have chosen to live contrary to His will, He continues to make His presence known to them and convict them of their wrong doings. He does this in prayer, visions, dreams and messengers, in order to call them to repentance. It is the hardness of their hearts that rejects all of this. It is actually more of an annoyance to them than anything else to hear another person speak against their sinful lifestyle. So these people go on throughout their life rejecting God’s voice and His messengers. This is so sad, since if they could just pay attention to what the Lord wanted to tell them, then everything would be different. There would be no more shame or guilt but forgiveness and mercy. There would be no more pains, but peace and joy. All their sorrows would turn into gladness. And to those that have had this happen to them, after giving their lives to Christ, can speak upon this from experience. We may think that we are well off on our own, but we are very mistaken in these thoughts. To forgo our own salvation for the things of this world is foolishness. So I pray that anyone reading this message will make a decision to believe in and follow Jesus. If this is you, then confess your sins to the Lord today, that He may cover you in His blood. You may not be able to change your own life on your own, but His love will give you new strength to do so and show you what is most important. So when you st

Let us pray:
Oh Lord, I pray that people would learn to love Your counsel and no longer disregard it. There is so much worth in giving an ear to what You have to say and then heed it. I have been lifted up each time that I resist temptation and instead give heed to Your warnings. In these moments have I been protected from the enemy and true peace has entered my life. It doesn’t matter the type of things that the flesh desires, if it isn’t appealing to You, oh God, then I also hate it. I have learned that following in Your light is far better than living in darkness. It is not worth a life of guilt and shame for temporary satisfaction, when I can have Your joy in my life that never ends. Your happiness is far better than being satisfied in the form of addictions or other wicked things. Therefore, Lord, protect me from every form of temptation. Help me see what is bad for evil and good for what is right. I know that while I seek You out in Your words in the Bible, and pray often, will my mind be focused on the truth of all things. This way I don’t have to wonder if what I am doing is right or wrong, for You have me by the hand and are leading me in the ways of righteousness. In all things Lord, I wish for every barrier to be broken. Tear down every wall. I don’t want myself or any person or thing to come between You and Your great love in my life. You mean more to me than all things. Because I am Your child, Your warnings speak volumes to my life. It is an honor to heed these warnings and then do as You have directed me. If I have done anything recently or in the past that I have not repented of, know that I am sorry and need Your forgiveness. Take my life and allow Your good works to shine forth. I love You Lord. Amen.

Let us read the Bible:
Note: Any Numbered References, found above, are listed below.

1Exodus 10 (KJV)
1 And the Lord said unto Moses, Go in unto Pharaoh: for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I might shew these my signs before him:
2 And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the Lord.
3 And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord God of the Hebrews, How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before me? let my people go, that they may serve me.
4 Else, if thou refuse to let my people go, behold, to morrow will I bring the locusts into thy coast:
5 And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one cannot be able to see the earth: and they shall eat the residue of that which is escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field:
6 And they shall fill thy houses, and the houses of all thy servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; which neither thy fathers, nor thy fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day. And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.
7 And Pharaoh’s servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare unto us? let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God: knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?
8 And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh: and he said unto them, Go, serve the Lord your God: but who are they that shall go?
9 And Moses said, We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast unto the Lord.
10 And he said unto them, Let the Lord be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones: look to it; for evil is before you.
11 Not so: go now ye that are men, and serve the Lord; for that ye did desire. And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.
12 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left.
13 And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
14 And the locust went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the coasts of Egypt: very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.
15 For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they did eat every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left: and there remained not any green thing in the trees, or in the herbs of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against the Lord your God, and against you.
17 Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and intreat the Lord your God, that he may take away from me this death only.
18 And he went out from Pharaoh, and intreated the Lord.
19 And the Lord turned a mighty strong west wind, which took away the locusts, and cast them into the Red sea; there remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt.
20 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.
21 And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.
22 And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
23 They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
24 And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed: let your little ones also go with you.
25 And Moses said, Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the Lord our God.
26 Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the Lord our God; and we know not with what we must serve the Lord, until we come thither.
27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go.
28 And Pharaoh said unto him, Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die.
29 And Moses said, Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more.

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