Westside Story Newspaper – Online The News of The Empire – Sharing the Quest for Excellence
Lou Coleman
By Lou Coleman
1st Warning.…. Jesus went into the Church and threw out the money-changers, overturned tables, and cast out those who had used the temple of God in vain for their own betterment and gain. Jesus went to set the Church in order. “My house shall be called the house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves.”
2nd Warning……On the appointed day after His death, burial, and resurrection Jesus ascended into the Heavens and sat at the right hand of the Father in glory. But before Jesus relaxed Himself, He called for an old Apostle exiled on Mt. Patmos. Jesus called for John, the Revelator. Jesus told John to come on up, and bring a pad and pen because he needed to write letters to the “Seven Churches.”
Final Warning.…… “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
“The Church of today is filled with whimpering, jealous, defeated Christians. They are worldly, selfish and cold because they are in bondage under the power of the Devil’s emphasis on their flesh, and the Church won’t preach against it. Instead of the call of the Church, people hear and give in to the call of the people. Instead of love for the Father, it is lust of the flesh. Instead of fishing for men, they are fishing for materialism.” God says in 2 Chronicles 7:14, “If my people which are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways: then will I hear from heaven, and forgive their sin, and will heal their land.” Church,God is looking for a Church without spot or wrinkle.” He’s looking for someone to have a committed Spirit. He needs people that are willing to be the Salt of the Earth, to change the world, not to be changed by the world. Bottom-line: God needs people who will, “Keep the main thing the main thing,” and the main thing is Jesus. Don’t you know that you will have to appear before the judgment seat of God and give an account of yourself? On that day, I wonder, how many will be able to say that, “The life I’ve lived, will speak for me?”
We have been warned. We have been given notice. Even though we don’t know and will never know the exact time, day or hour Jesus teaches us that the signs of what God is about to do will be clear. He methodically lists those signs in Luke 21:8. We could almost keep a checklist: Wars – ?…Rumors of Wars – ?…Famine – ?… Disaster – ? Earthquakes – ?… Pestilences -? …Conflict in Families – ?… Increasing Wickedness – ?… Fearful Events and Great Signs in Heaven arising – ?… Believers arrested and Hated – ?…False Teachings – ?… matter of fact goes ahead and put a “Double- ?” on that last one.” You know the people of Nineveh were warned to repent. We’ve been warned too. We’ve got to be ready in that hour, in that moment. The Church must be ready. You as an individual must be ready. It pays to heed Warnings, because Warnings comes before Destruction!
Perhaps I need to remind you about Moses and the burning bush; Israelites 40 years in the desert; Samson capture by the Philistines; David when he lost his kingdom; Jonah when swallowed by the whale; King Herod, the Jewish leaders, and the nation of Israel, Pilate, Rome, and all who rejected Jesus, rejected the truth of God, and thereby condemn themselves to an early grave; Paul on the road to Damascus after being blinded by His glory; The thief on the cross had to be sentence to crucifixion before he would listen. Where will you have to be before you will listen? Will God have to allow some tragedy in your life so you will listen? Jesus said in Rev. 3:20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me.”
Throughout the Bible God has always given mankind a chance to repent. He would send a warning through one of His messengers. God is still sending warnings. “He, who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the Churches.”
