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Repentance Prepares Us For The Rapture
- Jan 22, 2021
- 23 min read
Updated: Oct 14, 2021
1 John 2:28
Living Bible
28 And now, my little children, stay in happy fellowship with the Lord so that when he comes you will be sure that all is well and will not have to be ashamed and shrink back from meeting him.
Hello fellow Christians,
How many know what's going on in the world today? Do you know why God is pouring out His Spirit like He is? Do you know what I'm talking about? An outpouring of the Spirit, a revival started back last year when the coronavirus hit. Many Christians are experiencing a death to their heart, as I am, that is resulting in a repented and more devoted life to God. That's the reason for the revival. The Lord is doing this to heal our backslidings and to grant us repentance in order to prepare us for the Rapture.
1Thessalonians 5:4
Living Bible
4 But, dear brothers, you are not in the dark about these things, and you won’t be surprised as by a thief when that day of the Lord comes.
1 Thessalonians 5:23
Living Bible
23 May the God of peace himself make you entirely pure and devoted to God; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept strong and blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes back again.
So, because this move of the Lord started when the coronavirus hit, it looks like the Lord is trying to help people with the coronavirus. That is what I too thought. The Lord is in fact helping people with the coronavirus. However, the Lord showed me at that time last year, that the revival is a call to repentance in order to prepare us Christians for the Rapture.
The Lord wants to get us out of this world and to save us from the evil to come in the near future. The Lord isn't as concerned about the coronavirus, as much as He is about our salvation from it, and from every other evil in the future as well, with the Rapture.
So God is making an awareness call to His people about the Rapture by pouring out His Spirit, and everyone all over the world is prophesying. Young women are prophesying about the Rapture. Young men are seeing visions and old men are dreaming dreams, about the Rapture. These visons and dreams began to be poured out vastly beginning last year when the coronavirus hit. The Lord is coming QUICKLY.
Acts 2:16-21
Authorized (King James) Version
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: 18 and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: 19 and I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: 20 the sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come: 21 and it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
What the Lord is doing, is using Revelation chapters two and three in the form of prophecies, dreams and visions, to talk to us in order to prepare us for the Rapture through repentance. Allow me to paste these two chapters next for you to view:
Revelation 2
Authorized (King James) Version
1 Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks; 2 I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: 3 and hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. 4 Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. 5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 6 But this thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. 8 And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write; These things saith the first and the last, which was dead, and is alive; 9 I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. 10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 11 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. 12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; 13 I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. 14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. 15 So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 16 Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. 18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass; 19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first. 20 Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21 And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 22 Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. 24 But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. 25 But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. 26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27 and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. 28 And I will give him the morning star. 29 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
Revelation 3
Authorized (King James) Version
1 And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. 2 Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. 3 Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. 4 Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy. 5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. 6 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; 8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. 13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 14 And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. 21 To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne. 22 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
These two chapters are a call to repentance from the Lord Jesus. You will find yourself in one or more of these messages. Some of the prophesies, visions and dreams that people are having all over the world, are about the messages from the Lord Jesus to the churches in these two chapters. These two chapters, will tell you what your prophecies, dreams and visions mean.
Please study these two chapters for your understanding, so that you might understand what the Lord Jesus is saying for you to repent of, and what to do otherwise, to prepare for the Rapture, because according to Scripture, we are in "the beginning of the horrors to come".
Matthew 24:6-8
Living Bible
"...When you hear of wars beginning, this does not signal my return; these must come, but the end is not yet. The nations and kingdoms of the earth will rise against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many places. But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come..."
Matthew 24
Living Bible
1 As Jesus was leaving the Temple grounds, his disciples came along and wanted to take him on a tour of the various Temple buildings. 2 But he told them, “All these buildings will be knocked down, with not one stone left on top of another!” 3 “When will this happen?” the disciples asked him later, as he sat on the slopes of the Mount of Olives. “What events will signal your return and the end of the world?” 4 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone fool you. 5 For many will come claiming to be the Messiah and will lead many astray. 6 When you hear of wars beginning, this does not signal my return; these must come, but the end is not yet. 7 The nations and kingdoms of the earth will rise against each other, and there will be famines and earthquakes in many places. 8 But all this will be only the beginning of the horrors to come. 9 “Then you will be tortured and killed and hated all over the world because you are mine, 10 and many of you shall fall back into sin and betray and hate each other. 11 And many false prophets will appear and lead many astray. 12 Sin will be rampant everywhere and will cool the love of many. 13 But those enduring to the end shall be saved. 14 “And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it, and then, finally, the end will come. 15 “So, when you see the horrible thing (told about by Daniel* the prophet) standing in a holy place (Note to the reader: You know what is meant!, 16 then those in Judea must flee into the Judean hills. 17 Those on their porches must not even go inside to pack before they flee. 18 Those in the fields should not return to their homes for their clothes. 19 “And woe to pregnant women and to those with babies in those days. 20 And pray that your flight will not be in winter, or on the Sabbath. 21 For there will be persecution such as the world has never before seen in all its history and will never see again. 22 “In fact, unless those days are shortened, all mankind will perish. But they will be shortened for the sake of God’s chosen people. 23 “Then if anyone tells you, ‘The Messiah has arrived at such and such a place, or has appeared here or there,’ don’t believe it. 24 For false Christs shall arise, and false prophets, and will do wonderful miracles so that if it were possible, even God’s chosen ones[f] would be deceived. 25 See, I have warned you. 26 “So if someone tells you the Messiah has returned and is out in the desert, don’t bother to go and look. Or, that he is hiding at a certain place, don’t believe it! 27 For as the lightning flashes across the sky from east to west, so shall my coming be, when I, the Messiah, return. 28 And wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather. 29 “Immediately after the persecution of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give light, and the stars will seem to fall from the heavens, and the powers overshadowing the earth will be convulsed. 30 “And then at last the signal of my coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning all around the earth. And the nations of the world will see me arrive in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And I shall send forth my angels with the sound of a mighty trumpet blast, and they shall gather my chosen ones from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven. 32 “Now learn a lesson from the fig tree. When her branch is tender and the leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is almost here. 33 Just so, when you see all these things beginning to happen, you can know that my return is near, even at the doors. 34 Then at last this age will come to its close. 35 “Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words remain forever. 36 But no one knows the date and hour when the end will be—not even the angels. No, nor even God’s Son. Only the Father knows. 37-38 “The world will be at ease—banquets and parties and weddings—just as it was in Noah’s time before the sudden coming of the Flood; 39 people wouldn’t believe what was going to happen until the Flood actually arrived and took them all away. So shall my coming be. 40 “Two men will be working together in the fields, and one will be taken, the other left. 41 Two women will be going about their household tasks; one will be taken, the other left. 42 “So be prepared, for you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. 43 “Just as a man can prevent trouble from thieves by keeping watch for them, 44 so you can avoid trouble by always being ready for my unannounced return. 45 “Are you a wise and faithful servant of the Lord? Have I given you the task of managing my household, to feed my children day by day? 46 Blessings on you if I return and find you faithfully doing your work. 47 I will put such faithful ones in charge of everything I own! 48 “But if you are evil and say to yourself, ‘My Lord won’t be coming for a while,’ 49 and begin oppressing your fellow servants, partying and getting drunk, 50 your Lord will arrive unannounced and unexpected, 51 and severely whip you and send you off to the judgment of the hypocrites; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
I find the rebukes and prophecies from God to me about repentance and preparation for the Rapture in this end time outpouring of the Holy Spirit, to be from Revelation 3:7-13. The Church of Philadelphia. In it, Jesus speaks to me in like a code. I understand what He's saying. It's a personal message to me. I know what He's saying. I understand.
There are other passages from Revelation chapters two and three that God speaks to me with to grant me repentance and to prepare me for the Rapture. But, I will use the following passage to the Church of Phildelphia.
7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; 8 I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. 12 Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. 13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
V. 7. The Key of David speaks to me about my Davidic Anointing called Prophetic Intercession. In context, this verse is talking the Lord Jesus holding the Key to King David's domain and being the Ruler of Jerusalem, the City of David, the Kingdom of Israel. I was told that I have a Davidic Anointing, or, the gift of Prophecy, in 2001. So that verse speaks to me personally. In it, it's like the Lord Jesus is saying to me, "Hello Darrin. I'm the Lord of your Anointing".
Verses 7 and 8. Recently, the Lord told me that because He spoke to me and granted me repentance from being a sleeper, or, spiritually backslidden and dead and unaware of Christ's return in the Rapture, that a door in heaven was opened for me to the Resurrection of the Just by the Lord Jesus because He rebuked my backslidings. These verses remind me of that prophetic promise that I am going to be in the Resurrection of the Just, or, the Rapture.
That message about the Lord opening a door to the Resurrection of the Just for me that no man can shut, is here on Prophecies to Come, as well. That's why I tell you for the Lord Jesus about the Power of His Word and to ask Him to speak to you to give you repentance, because when He speaks to you, you're going to repent. For, the Lord's Word is the Power of Salvation. Whatever He says to you, will happen (Isa. 55).
Verse 9. I'll tell you who these Satanists are who say that they're Jews and are not. They are of the synagogue, or, Church, of Satan. The Church of the Undead. The Temple of the Dead. The Temple of Set. That verse speaks personally to me too.
Verse 10. This verse speaks personally to me too, because recently, when the Lord Jesus was visiting me and was granting me repentance with rebuke and chastisement after He crucified my heart to my backslidings, He gave me "the word of my testimony" of victory with His Blood over the Devil (Rev. 12:11). That word is "ENDURANCE" from Matthew 24:13.
With that one word, the Lord Jesus showed me what to do to get the victory over the reason I was backsliding. That backslidden heart condition is described in the previous three verses, 10, 11 and 12: backsliding, betrayal and hate in church. False prophecies, persecution and the digression of the love of God. Endurance and patience are the road back to God.
God spoke to me from Hebrews chapter three and chapter twelve about endurance and patience. So, verse 10 is a reteaching of what the Lord just told me recently about endurance and patience from Hebrews chapters 3 and 12: Patient endurance in evil times is how to come out of our backslidings and to make the Rapture.
Verse 11. This verse is not saying that Jesus is coming soon. It's saying that the Lord Jesus is coming QUICKLY! The Rapture, or, the Resurrection of the just, is going to happen as fast as lightning (Mt. 24:27), in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:52). The Lord Jesus comes QUICKLY for His Church in the Rapture. In a second, the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air. QUICKLY, in a second. After this, He returns to earth from the sky to burn the world and cook the Devil and his people (see Rev. 19. NOTE: there is 1, 000 years between Rev 19 and Rev 20).
Verse 12. This verse speaks personally to me too. Because I backslid so much and did not show my love for the Lord and respect for His Anointing since I got baptized into the Holy Spirit, or, saved, in 1991, verse 12 is what I want forever!
Because the Lord graciously began to grant me repentance with rebuke and prophecy last year and never left me, the Lord made my heart more devoted to Him with a death, or, a crucifixion of my heart. Ii was dying to self for months and it hurt! I'm still being crucified...
Now I find no pleasure in my former lifestyle. I was backslidden and finding delight in idolatry and didn't know it.
Now I know and forever in heaven after the Rapture, I never ever want to leave God again! I want to be a pillar in the temple of my God and go no more out. I want God's name, the Name of God's city, New Jerusalem and the new Name of the Lord Jesus, written on me, forever...
Verse 13 means that God's Church will decipher the meanings of the messages, or, prophecies, of God's Son in Revelation chapters two and three, when He prepares them for the Rapture by granting them repentance when He speaks to them, and they see themselves in those two chapters.
I have some prophecies from the Lord, the Holy Spirit, and from my Guardian Angel, the Archangel Gabriel, on my recorder, that I will write down here for you to be edified in the Lord with.
What Does The Bible Mean When The Bible Says That The Bride Will Prepare Herself For The Lord In The Rapture?
Matthew 25:1-13
Authorized (King James) Version
1 “The Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the story of ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2-4 But only five of them were wise enough to fill their lamps with oil, while the other five were foolish and forgot. 5-6 “So, when the bridegroom was delayed, they lay down to rest until midnight, when they were roused by the shout, ‘The bridegroom is coming! Come out and welcome him!’ 7-8 “All the girls jumped up and trimmed their lamps. Then the five who hadn’t any oil begged the others to share with them, for their lamps were going out. 9 “But the others replied, ‘We haven’t enough. Go instead to the shops and buy some for yourselves.’ 10 “But while they were gone, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was locked. 11 “Later, when the other five returned, they stood outside, calling, ‘Sir, open the door for us!’ 12 “But he called back, ‘Go away! It is too late!’ 13 “So stay awake and be prepared, for you do not know the date or moment of my return.
Revelation 19:7
Living Bible
7 Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him; for the time has come for the wedding banquet of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself.
Today, the Holy Spirit is being poured out upon all flesh all over the world through prophecies, dreams and visions about repenting and preparing to meet the Lord in the Rapture (Acts 2:16-21).
"Stay awake and be prepared", said the Lord Jesus in Mt 25:13. This is called an "awareness". An awakening. A spiritual awareness and awakening that the Lord is about to return. The Rapture Awareness. The prophecies say that the Lord is no more coming SOON, but that He is coming NOW!
"The Lord is preparing His Bride by bringing them back to their first love and giving them complete devotion to Him. It's a battle. God is crucifying your heart, your idolatry, from doing things for your pleasure, to doing things that please Him" (Rev. 2:1-7).
"The Bible says to delight yourself in the Lord (Psalm 37:4). So the Lord is changing your DESIRES. From delighting in sin, to delighting in Him. So that when He comes, your heart will be completely devoted to Him. And you'll be doing 'the first works' that get you into heaven when the Lord Jesus comes in the Rapture" (Rev. 2:5).
"You will lose to the God Jesus in this life if you don't let the Holy Spirit make your heart repent and take you back to your first love for Jesus. God is killing you and making your heart happy because you've been born again with a need to please God. God is satisfying that need to please Him with complete devotion and is giving you joy in the Holy Ghost".
"God is crucifying your heart and giving you spiritual rebirth and regeneration. Conforming you to the Image of His Son, Jesus. So that you have complete devotion to God like Jesus did. And He's doing this so that you can make it in the Rapture.
If you don't listen to the Holy Spirit, you're fighting Him. And those who do not listen to God, will lose to His Son, Jesus, in this life. And no one will remember you".
"In the Rapture, all the Christians in the world that make it to heaven, will see people dropping from the Gates of the New Jerusalem, choking on the Words "Come up here!" in the Rapture, like a fish out of water. The Christians will see you and will shed one tear for you, and like lightning, they're going to be gone to heaven forever and changed. But they won't remember you. No one will be remembered who loses to God's Son, Jesus, in this life".
1 Thessalonians 5:23
Living Bible
23 May the God of peace himself make you entirely pure and devoted to God; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept strong and blameless until that day when our Lord Jesus Christ comes back again.
I want to share a message with you here from the Lord to me that I have on my recorder. I think it is appropriate cos it talks about the Rapture. It's about two months old. This is the Father God talking, not the Holy Spirit.
"The Father God says,
'Darrin, I'm taking you to heaven. You're Mine. I got you back from sin and death. I'm in heaven, waiting for you to come. When I see you, I'm going to hold you like you're My Son'".
I close with a message from the Archangel Gabriel to me. I know that there are Christians out there in the world that will identify with it. Take it as a prophecy from the Lord to you...
The Archangel Gabriel says,
"God is trying to tell you how to come back to Him. It's by not losing faith and keeping pace with the runners in the race with Him. You do it through patience and striving against sin unto death".
The following scripture chapter is what brother Gabriel is talking about there...
Hebrews 12
Living Bible
1 Since we have such a huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands, let us strip off anything that slows us down or holds us back, and especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around our feet and trip us up; and let us run with patience the particular race that God has set before us. 2 Keep your eyes on Jesus, our leader and instructor. He was willing to die a shameful death on the cross because of the joy he knew would be his afterwards; and now he sits in the place of honor by the throne of God. 3 If you want to keep from becoming fainthearted and weary, think about his patience as sinful men did such terrible things to him. 4 After all, you have never yet struggled against sin and temptation until you sweat great drops of blood. 5 And have you quite forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you, his child? He said, “My son, don’t be angry when the Lord punishes you. Don’t be discouraged when he has to show you where you are wrong. 6 For when he punishes you, it proves that he loves you. When he whips you, it proves you are really his child.” 7 Let God train you, for he is doing what any loving father does for his children. Whoever heard of a son who was never corrected? 8 If God doesn’t punish you when you need it, as other fathers punish their sons, then it means that you aren’t really God’s son at all—that you don’t really belong in his family. 9 Since we respect our fathers here on earth, though they punish us, should we not all the more cheerfully submit to God’s training so that we can begin really to live? 10 Our earthly fathers trained us for a few brief years, doing the best for us that they knew how, but God’s correction is always right and for our best good, that we may share his holiness. 11 Being punished isn’t enjoyable while it is happening—it hurts! But afterwards we can see the result, a quiet growth in grace and character. 12 So take a new grip with your tired hands, stand firm on your shaky legs, 13 and mark out a straight, smooth path for your feet so that those who follow you, though weak and lame, will not fall and hurt themselves but become strong. 14 Try to stay out of all quarrels, and seek to live a clean and holy life, for one who is not holy will not see the Lord. 15 Look after each other so that not one of you will fail to find God’s best blessings. Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives. 16 Watch out that no one becomes involved in sexual sin or becomes careless about God as Esau did: he traded his rights as the oldest son for a single meal. 17 And afterwards, when he wanted those rights back again, it was too late, even though he wept bitter tears of repentance. So remember, and be careful. 18 You have not had to stand face to face with terror, flaming fire, gloom, darkness, and a terrible storm as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai when God gave them his laws. 19 For there was an awesome trumpet blast and a voice with a message so terrible that the people begged God to stop speaking. 20 They staggered back under God’s command that if even an animal touched the mountain it must die. 21 Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he shook with terrible fear. 22 But you have come right up into Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to the gathering of countless happy angels; 23 and to the church, composed of all those registered in heaven; and to God who is Judge of all; and to the spirits of the redeemed in heaven, already made perfect; 24 and to Jesus himself, who has brought us his wonderful new agreement; and to the sprinkled blood, which graciously forgives instead of crying out for vengeance as the blood of Abel did. 25 So see to it that you obey him who is speaking to you. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, how terrible our danger if we refuse to listen to God who speaks to us from heaven! 26 When he spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but, “Next time,” he says, “I will not only shake the earth but the heavens too.” 27 By this he means that he will sift out everything without solid foundations so that only unshakable things will be left. 28 Since we have a Kingdom nothing can destroy, let us please God by serving him with thankful hearts and with holy fear and awe. 29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Steve Brock - "Leaving On My Mind"
