Christian, get out of California

Given the climate of California, I am sure that a great many people there would like to see the Christians get out.  But I don’t think this message is for them.

What I am talking about is a warning.

Christians, get out of California!

This State, it looks like to me, is starting to see the judgement of God.  Fires, earthquakes,mudslides, crime, violence.  This isn’t going to get better.  It’s going to get worse.  Much worse.

Let me say now that I haven’t received any “divine revelation,” God hasn’t come to me and made any pronouncement, nor has there been prophecy.  But Jesus did say that “You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times.”

Well, look about you!

 Is California experiencing the signs of those who follow God?  Or are they experiencing the signs of wrath?

Look at Israel as the example.  When they followed God, they experienced peace and plenty.  Their enemies couldn’t touch them.  But when Israel fell away, they were plagued both by man and nature.

California likes to see itself as the leader of the country,and they are indeed the leader.  And what is happening to them will happen to the rest of the country as well if the US doesn’t get itself back to God.

I am going to make a bold statement, one which probably a vast majority won’t believe: If California were to repent, and go to God, they would not see the fires. They would not see the extreme weather.  The violence, the murders, the crime would all go away. (Well, that one goes hand-in-hand with the repentance part.)  But the judgements that are starting on California would stop.

But California won’t.  It seems instead that they always double down on their rebellion.

So, Christian, get out while you can.  Before it gets worse.  Much worse.

Should California be abandoned?  There are people there who may still heed the calling of God, true.  But there also comes a time to abandon ship, as it were. The angel will warn those in Babylon to flee before destruction.  Lot was wared to get out of Sodom.  Noah was warned.  God always warns, it seems, before final judgement comes.

Again, I am not saying I have any such divine pronouncement.  I am just looking at what I see and thinking that things are going to get a lot worse for that State.

This isn’t meant to single out California.  California is a symptom of a much larger problem.  A worldwide problem.  We are all in rebellion against God.  And God’s judgement will eventually come down on the whole world.

Judgement starts with the house of God.  So many people call themselves Christians, butare they?  This is the Christmas season.  How many celebrate the birth of Christ, but how many follow his precepts?

Those who claim to be “Christian,” are you “Christ-like”,which is what the word actually means? Do you love your neighbour?  Are you kind?  Do you love the poor?  Do you live a Christ would live?

If you were accused of the crime of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

Would someone looking at you really want to be a Christian if you were the example?

The answer, sadly, is no for a lot of people.  So many claim to be Christians but are only in word, but not deed.  And they fail their neighbour in this.  Rather than being the example to draw people to Christ, they are how to repel people away from him.

Let repentance start with the Christians.  Let us live our lives as Jesus would.  To draw those who are perishing back to life.  Before it is too late.

The day is coming quickly where God’s grace will run out.  The time when there is no more repentance. When judgement comes, man’s heart is stone and is unwilling to repent.

God is a righteous God, and this is where many people walk wayfrom him.  Listen well, for you do not know that “neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals,nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God”? This is a difficult saying, because we love to do these things.  But God commands us not to. So we have a choice, follow him or don’t.

The wages of sin is death, and hell was not made for us but for “the devil and his angels.”  But if you do the devil’s work, why are you surprised that you receive the devil’s reward?

Judgement doesn’t have to happen.  But it will, because we deserve it.

Fortunately, this is what the Christmas season is about.  God’s gift to us, his son Jesus.

Our sin must be paid for. This is God’s justice.  We like tothink God will wink at our sin, or that “our good will outweigh our bad.”  This isn’t how God works.  Sin must be paid for.  You go to a restaurant and eat a steak, youhave to pay for the steak, no matter what kind of person you are.  Everyone pays for the steak.  Our good doesn’t outweigh our evil.  In fact, “we are all like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags”.

This is why we struggle with God.

Jesus, however, paid for our sin. If we let him.

A gift requires both a giver and a receiver.  Jesus gave the gift. It is up to you to accept it.

Says Jesus, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

This is not something we do on a Sunday and then forget about.  Nor, like the Christmas song All Year Long, do we take Jesus out once in a while and then put him away.  God is looking for people to worship him “in spirit and in truth.”

If you are looking for God, he is there.  Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through [him].”  If you will follow him, make Jesus Lord of your life for real, not just in word, then judgement will have passed over you. Your sins will not be just forgiven, but forgotten.

To those who follow God, go forth and produce the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,and self-control.  Remember what love is:Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes,always perseveres.  Love never fails.

If you have those qualities, people will see Christ in you.

For those who are still in California: Judgement is coming if it hasn’t started already.  This both God’s way to punish for sin and to wake you up, to show the consequences for your rebellion.

There is still time for some.  Maybe for others their heart has become so hard it is too late.  God knows.

But judgement is coming.  Get out of California while you can.