Be Careful What You Wish For :: By Daniel Payne

This is a message to all who want to do it your way.

“There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).

Care must be taken in the path which you choose. If you choose to walk along the path which seems right to you, then you have likely chosen a path different from that which God wants you to follow.

Following God’s desired path for you requires sacrifice:

“Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (Timothy 3:12).

Through various modes of entertainment, you witness many who assert that it’s bold or courageous to criticize the Word of God. They attempt to find fault with and denigrate God’s Word every chance they get. Their own ungodly behavior calls attention to their contempt for God’s Word.

In reality, it takes much more courage to believe what the Bible says is true, rather than saying that the stories in the Bible are myths, or rejecting and mocking the moral standards commanded by the Lord.

People say that they refuse to believe in something that they cannot see. That’s exactly the point; it takes faith to please God:

“Without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He exists, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Furthermore, proof that God exists cannot be understood by science:

“By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Hebrews 11:3).

However, the evidence that God exists is the foundation and result of all scientific discovery. Those who choose to willfully ignore the scientific evidence are only fooling themselves:

“For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse… Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:20, 22).

Do you long for a world free from the moral constraints of the Holy Bible? Do you wish for a world free from those who preach, teach, and sincerely endeavor to practice God’s moral commandments?

Be careful what you wish for.

Without God’s true children here, you will have the earth all to yourself. You will then be able to mold and shape the world into your own image.

Are you sure you want that?

Yes, you continue to do that now, but you have not as yet received full compensation for your efforts.

While true believers remain here on earth, the restraining of the Holy Spirit also remains. What exactly is the Holy Spirit “restraining”?

The Holy Spirit is holding back evil from becoming overwhelmingly dangerous and/or violent on a worldwide scale.

God is very patient; He allows humankind to continue to devolve into moral decay while waiting for His lost sheep to be found.

“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

However, He has set a date on the calendar that only He knows. On that appointed day, He will remove all of His true children from this earth along with the controlling power of His Holy Spirit.

All of God’s true believing children are filled with His Holy Spirit:

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” (Ephesians 1:13).

As a consequence of all true believers being filled with God’s Holy Spirit, the unbelieving world receives the blessing of being surrounded by the life-giving waters of the Holy Spirit.

“‘He who believes in Me,’ as the Scripture has said, ‘out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive” (John 7:38-39a).

Just as our loving God has so generously given His Holy Spirit to the world:

“But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:39).

He can and will also take Him away:

“For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way” (2 Thessalonians 2:7).

The result of the removal of the current restraining work of the Holy Spirit will be worldwide trouble and extreme tribulation:

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened” (Matthew 24:21-22).

As for those of us who believe and accept the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ as the ONLY atonement for our sins, we do not plan on being here during the time of unrestrained evil:

“For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9).

We cannot wait to meet our Savior in the air:

“For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Would you like to join us?

If you’re absolutely ashamed of your sins, and you are completely heartbroken over rejecting God’s free gift of salvation, and you are now ready to receive Him:

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved’” (Romans 10:9-13).

“The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart, And saves such as have a contrite spirit” (Psalms 34:18).

I sincerely hope and pray that you have chosen salvation!