He Who Laughs First - Will He Also Laugh Last?
(II Peter 3:3-4, I Kings 19:14)
In our time we have seen a move from morality to immorality in everything from the music we listen to, even to the very food we eat. The desires of the flesh have led many a young person to think of Satan as some "good ol' boy" or of hell as a giant playground of sex, drugs, and rock and roll. As a matter of fact, Satan has deceived so many young people through such things as rock and roll that they are literally dying, of suicide, drug overdose, and the like. Furthermore, some have become so rebellious that they desecrate the Gospel by following their own lusts, and an ultimate act of doing so is their proclamation of rock stars and the latest teen heart-throbs and blonde bimbos as "gods". Elijah lamented in I Kings 19:14 that Israel had "torn down altars, forsaken His covenant, and killed the prophets." Does it not seem as if we are guilty of the same today? Just take a good look around you and see for yourself the exploitation of the sinful by prominent celebrities. What can we say or do?
Let us examine what God says in His word about this state of events. On the positive side, we do see a major fulfillment of Joel 2:28 in the form of the Charismatic Renewal, which many of us would refer to as the "Latter Rain." Praise God for it, for it is real, and it is happening today! A new wave of revival is being felt from the million-member congregation of Dr. Cho's in Korea to the little storefront Holiness missions of five or ten souls in our major cities. Though it may not be manifested in the world around us, God's Spirit is moving, and is getting a lot of resistance from Satan. Old Slewfoot knows his time is short, and you can bet a Florida lottery ticket on that if your convictions don't prohibit you. As a result of this fact, the devil is doing some overtime in order to get as much of this world as possible into his evil grip. It is a spiritual war and all humanity, no exceptions, is taking sides. With that piece of knowledge, you have an important question to ask yourself: whose side will you be on? God gives you a choice, and it is up to you to make it. You don't have to follow our Lord and His free gift of salvation He offers you, but it is your loss if you choose not to. You don't have to go to a church and serve Christ who came to earth to die for YOUR sins, but you'll die with them. And you have the right to choose the kind of life you will lead, for there are two choices: a broad path of destruction, and a narrow path of life. No, this is not a quote from Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven" but rather comes from the ONLY WAY to eternal life, Jesus. So remember, you may scoff and scorn the ones who choose the right way, but remember in the end that you chose the path you're on, and you'll see who has the last laugh! However, if you want to change your path now, it is not too late: the privelege is yours to choose to change your road. However, please do not tarry long in choosing, for time is very short. God loves you, and wants you to spend eternity with HIM, but in order to do that, you must choose to receive His free gift of His Son, Jesus. You can't go on the merits of Uncle Fred, the Baptist deacon, but you must enter into your own personal relationship with the living God. So, if you want that last laugh of joy rather than being laughed at in contempt by hell's demons, then commit your life to Christ today and experience that joy and peace you can only have through Him, and will last eternally unlike the buzz of alcohol or the short span of a noisy rock concert. He would not emphasize these things in His word so much if He did not want you to have them, and it is a greater fulfillment than any earthly pleasure can offer. He is offering this all to YOU today, and please accept my petitions to you to receive Him. Amen.
