In seeking God tonight, I felt Him say that Jesus is coming soon and will be judging the whole world. Then He gave me Zech 11. Although I am not entirely sure what it means, I think He is prophetically indicating that some of the church is being lead by bad shepherds, and many are suffering underneath this bad leadership.
God showed me that although we are saved by Grace, the consequences or effects of His law still apply today.
There is a deception in the church today that says: “saved by grace – no consequences to pay”. But this is not true.
For example, if you were to go out and get a girl pregnant, you would get a baby. You can/are forgiven for the sin of fornication, but the consequences – the baby – are not dealt with by forgiveness (grace). There is a consequence. You would need to live with this consequence and work through it, even though you have been forgiven.
So grace does not take away the consquences of sin, and one of the reasons God doesn’t want us to sin is because of the consequences! The other reason is because He wants us to be like Him!
1 Peter 1:16 “for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.'”
Note: it is ONLY through grace that we gave the ability to walk in God’s ways, and not sin. Trying in our own strength to overcome sin will only serve to bond you to it more.
1 Cor 15:56 “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
For those who are truely seeking Jesus, it is my experience that God will not bless those things that have their roots in improper motives, or will lead us away from our calling. Nor will God bless those things we strive to achieve in our own strength that we build up to protect ourselves.
God disciplines those He loves, so don’t be annoyed or tempted to follow the ungodly ways of unbelievers, even when their evil ways seem to do well! For those who are serious about God, He will protect them from themselves and will not allow these ungodly “blessings” to lead off them track.
Jeremiah 12:1-6 “You are always righteous, LORD, when I bring a case before you.
Yet I would speak with you about your justice: Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease? 2 You have planted them, and they have taken root; they grow and bear fruit. You are always on their lips but far from their hearts. 3 Yet you know me, LORD; you see me and test my thoughts about you. Drag them off like sheep to be butchered! Set them apart for the day of slaughter!
4 How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered?
Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished.
Moreover, the people are saying, “He will not see what happens to us.”
God’s response: 5 “If you have raced with men on foot and they have worn you out, how can you compete with horses? If you stumble in safe country, how will you manage in the thickets by the Jordan?”
Life by the Spirit 