Settle Out of Court

June 17

(Luke 12:54-59 NIV) “He said to the crowd: "When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, 'It's going to rain,' and it does. {55} And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. {56} Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don't know how to interpret this present time? {57} "Why don't you judge for yourselves what is right? {58} As you are going with your adversary to the magistrate, try hard to be reconciled to him on the way, or he may drag you off to the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison. {59} I tell you, you will not get out until you have paid the last penny.””

(2 Peter 3:3-7 NIV) “First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. {4} They will say, "Where is this 'coming' he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation." {5} But they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. {6} By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. {7} By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”

(Romans 1:18-19 NIV) “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, {19} since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them.”

Jesus taught that a final judgment is coming and we had better get ready for it. There will be a day when God gathers all the souls who have ever lived and we will stand exposed before the Lord. Today Jesus wonders how people could be so good at reading the Earth’s winds, but such dismal failures at reading the spiritual winds blowing around them. Jesus called these people hypocrites because they were in a position to know the truth, but deliberately rejected it. We are in the same position today. We live in a culture that continues to reject the gospel -- a culture that calls good evil and evil good -- a culture that worships money, glorifies perversion, makes heroes of villains, kills unwanted babies in the name of convenience, and worships self as the god of all things. God’s judgment is imminent. Plead guilty and settle out of court with Him today. The time for plea bargaining will soon be over. Today is the day of salvation. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day