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Warning and OpportunityWhen Cain offended the Lord with his offering of material fruit, he was encouraged to try again and offer correctly. Cain, however, dismissed the admonition and suffered personally. In one ancient text, it says that his body began to shake uncontrollably. In this instance, a personal offense received a personal rebuke. The divine method is clear, and Christ provides the opportunity for correction: if you do God's will as image and likeness, you are blessed beyond measure; if you do evil, it shall be measured to you again. This pattern repeats itself throughout Scripture and throughout human history in ever-expanding ways. In the time of Noah, the righteous path was available, but sin ruled the minds of almost all of those early progenitors of Adam. Except for those inspired few who were lifted up above the wave, a flood of destruction washed the landscape clean and gave new opportunity for growth in grace to the whole region. It is recorded in 1 Kings 9 that God talked with Solomon after he had built his temple, assuring him of His perpetual presence and an established throne and kingdom if he remained consecrated to the Lord's commands without falter. Unfortunately, Solomon did falter, being enticed by many sensual women, and as a result, the nation fell into disarray. Note that as the divine message extends its range, the corresponding reward or punishment is also enlarged. When losing our way, we can only expect to see evil destroying itself, for that is the only power it has. Solomon had the potential wisdom to accelerate his nation toward the millennium, but the nation was thrown down "as lightning fall from heaven" because he refused to harvest only good fruit (Luke 10:18). What a tragedy! Yet man is destined to succeed: "How long it must be before we arrive at the demonstration of scientific being, no man knoweth, - not even 'the Son but the Father;' but the false claim of error continues its delusions until the goal of goodness is assiduously earned and won" (SH 233:10). Dwelling in the secret place of the Most High, matter disappears, and we find ourselves in the center of all real activity. The three young Hebrew men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were given a choice: either bow down to matter or face the threat of destruction in a fiery furnace. Because they chose the true path, not giving in to false gods, they passed through their Armageddon trial without experiencing it, for the Son of God was there, leading the way as always. Jesus envisioned a great awakening, bringing great peace to the waiting ear of all people, but he also foretold of terrible loss, greater than anything that the world has ever seen if we fail to understand the grand freedom that the Comforter brings. Citizens of the world, the Comforter is available at the door of every waiting ear. It has been discovered and proven to be that which the Master foretold. Will we bring forth fruits worthy of an offering unto the Lord, or will we bury our testimony tidbits in the ground and follow Cain into hell? If we do our work faithfully, our reward is sure: peace will reign on all the earth, and heaven will be obvious. If our offerings are not improved, we will surely be vomited out, and Armageddon will become real to us, until we know that the Lord God ruleth and giveth His reward to whomsoever He will. Ultimately, we all must stand before the tribunal of Spirit and hear, 'Behold, you are perfect. Enter into the joy of the Lord.' Before we can do this, however, we must save the world from our view of it as matter. How? Endeavor to have divine Love form every word and deed from this day forward. "It is Love which paints the petal with myriad hues, glances in the warm sunbeam, arches the cloud with the bow of beauty, blazons the night with starry gems, and covers earth with loveliness" (SH 247:24). Every moment of our lives, we are either watching mortal mind destroy itself, or we are going up higher and being lifted out of harm's way to behold heaven here. The reward of iniquity
The reward of grace
Warning and opportunity
George Denninger © |
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