- One Of My Burdens

I share with you one of my great burdens concerning our present generation. Our wisest and most brilliant people have played with the secrets of God Almighty, the Creator. I do not know how we can justify it. For the first time in the history of the world, we have released the secret of the composition of matter. Sinful men have entered into that holy place where life begins. We have glorified our test tubes, our microscopes, our instruments of technology, prying into the secrets of creation and life— secrets that have always belonged only to God. The problems of death and destruction we have not solved. Nuclear destruction is out of the bottle—and becoming more menacing by the year. The common people do not really know the extent to which their leaders have mortgaged their futures. So they repress their fears and doubts by seeking pleasure and living selfishly, intent only on themselves. Someone has described their lifestyle as “pampered opulence.” While the world is falling apart, they are spending billions on fun and on pleasure and on what they call excitement.

We may have differing opinions about the symbols and details of prophetic warnings, but God’s truth is here. We cannot get around it. Into history, into our world, the horsemen of the Apocalypse will come riding forth in God’s time. Dare we imagine we can live in pampered opulence—not even remembering to pray for this dying world—and still believe we will be ready for that hour when our Lord will call His people home? As a minister of God’s Word, I add my caution to every caution and warning God has given us. If we are wasting our time and money and energy in foolish play, it will be tragic for us in that awful, coming hour.

I pray for myself. I pray that I may be more detached from this world and from its evils and its selfish systems. I pray that I may recognize that soft, silky, deceptive voice that is opposed to our Lord Jesus Christ. I pray that I will be able to stand with the overcomers, even if it means that everyone around me is as enemy, even if it means martyrdom.
Do you feel that way about these important issues? I hope you do!

After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea. Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.

After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands..
Then one of the elders asked me, “These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?”

I answered, “Sir, you know.” And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
Revelation 7:1-4; Revelation 7:9; Revelation 7:13-14