We didn’t use our second chance

Since about weds last week I have been hearing something I didn’t want to hear from God. I won’t go into all the details, I will just share the sad news in short.

I read somewhere, someone said that the collapse had not been deep enough, or long enough, and the recovery was too swift… to make a lasting impact and cause real change.

Indeed, the feeling I have is that we did not learn anything by the warning, and we have made plans to return to our vomit. I feel that a switch was thrown around about last weds.

We faced judgement, some responded in prayer, God had mercy and in the words of my friend “given a second chance”. We didn’t use our second chance.

The switch has already been thrown and it is already too late to intercede and change the course. The mercy of God is that if He doesn’t take this course now, we face a far larger problem further down the line.

The Titanic

I keep seeing an image of the Titanic. It scraped the first iceberg as it was changing course. But then after a time it returned to it’s original course.

So now it will be diverted permanently… because if this does not occur, then a far greater problem awaits us ahead.

The loss of affluence will be upsetting, but we will be alright. (We can jump into the life boats.)

And I once again reassure you that (virtually) the whole earth will be rejoicing before the end of this year (2010). So while we may watch our affluence disappear now, I believe we will experience an added new dimension to all of our lives, through the manifest Presence of God and of the Lamb of God amongst us, here in the earth.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” – Rev 21:1-4

And…

I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. – Rev 21:22-26

I feel real sadness for our losses, but I am reassured that the alternative – further down the line – is far worse. I have not heard from the Holy Spirit who did what or made what agreement, which triggered the end of the second chance. But the fact is that we did not make good use of the warning and signs that He showed us in abundance. We did not incline our ears to His words.

As traumatic as our losses may feel, we will be fine and alright. And what’s more, we will be rejoicing before the end of this years 2010.