Some of the most
recognized warning signs today are well known in our society. For example when
our bodies are telling us that something requires our attention such as:
Chest pains, fever, or stomach ache. Others come in the forms of alarms to get
us ready for natural events such as flood warnings, tornado warnings, fire
alarms, etc. We intermingle the warnings and alarms because the idea is to
avoid a dangerous situation.
Let me tell you that in
the old Spanish language the word, ‘alarm”="Al arma" means “al”=
to your “arma” = arms, weapon, gun, etc. In other words get ready by
getting the weapon(s) or protection you have.
Even warnings signs like
a car seat belts, are important in our daily lives, but people ignore them
and die, because they decide not to buckle up.
A Dangerous Road
My dear friend, perhaps
you have a car that sounds an alarm when you drive off without putting on your
seat belt. But what about the other areas of your life—your personal walk
with God, marriage, financial dealings, conduct, speech, purity and
faithfulness? There are no audible sirens that will automatically come on
when you head in a wrong direction or ignore God's laws and safety measures,
which you well know from the Bible. However, for one reason or another you
choose to ignore them and you coast along just fine—or so you think. Oh yes,
here and there you see a few warning signs, but you conveniently decide to
disregard them. You like to feel that you are in control. It's a dangerous road
you are traveling on, convincing yourself that you know better than God, that
you are stronger, holier and smarter than anyone else and that therefore you
don't need to heed God's safety measures. I can assure you that you are heading
for a sure crash if you keep ignoring the warning signs God sends you through
Scripture, other believers and the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart.
Giving an Account for Our Generation
Heeding such warning
signs applies not only to our personal walk with God, but also to our calling
as the Body of Christ in this world. We are called to be salt and light, to set
our mind on the things above and not on the things of this world—and we are
commissioned to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth.
How serious are we
taking our calling? Let me ask you a few questions. When was the last time you
and your church or fellowship group fasted and prayed a few days—not for your
own needs, but for the lost world? When was it that your church body sacrificed
their comfort, resources and plans so others could hear the Gospel? What are
the things your fellowship preaches and promotes? Is it how to have a more
comfortable life and increasing wealth in the here-and-now, or is it how to
become a grain of wheat and die so that others may live?
My dear friend, are we
waiting for the sirens of war, terrorism and economic crisis to go off before
we wake up and get serious about picking up our cross and following Jesus?
If, as members of the
Body of Christ, we don't heed the warning signs, we will one day stand before
the throne of God to give an account for losing our generation.
Let's Listen!
The history of the
people of Israel is given to us as instruction and warning. After crossing the
Jordan River, they took possession of their promised land, with God fighting
their battles. He told them that this land would be theirs forever if they
obeyed His Word. But very soon the people drifted away from God's instructions
and did their own thing.
God in His mercy sent
prophet after prophet to warn them and to keep them from losing their lives and
land. However, they ignored all His warnings until they finally lost everything
and were taken away into captivity. May God open our eyes, ears and hearts to
the warning signs all around us and the alarms that are already going off.
--Enrique
(Ideas and examples taken
from an internet Bible meditation called “Do Not Ignore the Warning Signs” from
Dr. K.P. Yohannan)
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