I’m sure many of us have heard the story of the frog in the boiling water. A frog is put in a pan of hot water and he jumps out. Then, a frog is put in a pan of tepid water, the water is gradually heated to a boil, and the frog just stays there and boils to death! That is what is happening in America today, and to many Americans in the process. The water temperatures of falling away from God, of allowing our values to change away from the Word of God, of spiritual complacency, of tolerating violence, the flesh and the demonic, is SLOWLY getting hotter and hotter, like hell itself, and many people and families are beginning to “die” spiritually BEFORE they even REALIZE it! Parents, you are losing your children right before your eyes!
Is there a remedy? YES!
We must repent and turn to God and once again get serious about our relationship with Him! We need to pray for ourselves, our family, our children and our nation! We need to be in the house of God and be serving and honoring Him, not “gradually boiling to death” by chasing the things of this world! Our jobs, our families, our children — we need to do ALL THAT for the glory of God and follow HIS ways in every aspect of our life! Noah preached and preached and the people did not listen. They were sadly drowned in their sin. They missed out on the ark! It was too late! (The ark is a New Testament type of God’s house, God’s family). The prophets of Israel spoke and spoke and spoke, and Israel did not listen. They ended up defeated by their enemies and carried away into captivity.
Will we listen and learn from the Scriptures? Will we listen to God speaking now!
In Luke 14, as Jesus was telling the story of many being being invited to His house (where the REAL blessings are!), many began to make excuses. They had bought this or that, just gotten married, etc. They were making idols out of materialism (what they owned and wanted) and individualism (what only they were interested in and wanted to do) and not in serving God or following Him! And the amazing thing that happened next is, Jesus sent out and invited all the “down-and-outers” into His house and they entered in, and all the others who were “successful” (living for themselves apart from God) were LEFT OUT!
We wonder about the rise of racism, violence, abuse, division, and disunity in our nation right now, and “what are we coming to”? and “why is this happening”? And of course we blame all the “other people” in these situations. But the answer is quite simple. As Americans, we have now gradually backslidden away from God (remember the frog) and we are seeing sin and devil begin to take over! We are giving in to evil! And that only brings this… “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy”! (John 10.10) Only Jesus is the answer for that! Only His cross, His shed blood, His powerful resurrection — only the power of the His gospel! Self help is no help at all! Only repentance and faith in Jesus can heal our land! And all that must be carried forward by His church! The church is the light of the world! If you’re not a part, you end up in darkness, and so will your children! Noah saved his family!
How about you? Where are you today?
Are you following Jesus and being in His house? His ark? Is He your Lord, or are you refusing to listen to Him as you chase the things of this world? Israel did not listen to God. Noah’s contemporaries did not listen to God. Both paid a huge price and so did their children. Are you listening? He’s speaking to you… Through these words!
I pray you will be a vibrant Christian today!
…and not a dying frog!