Whosoever

Cassie’s mother rejected her. Between Bob’s brother’s full time job and work at his farm, he didn’t have time to nurse a calf. Truth be told, my 3 children were young then, I didn’t have much time either. But I couldn’t resist the urge to play the heroine and try to save a cast off animal. So Cassie came to stay with us. Mum helped me with my mission more than anyone else, she and I making trails in our lawn from our house to Cassie’s temporary home. We did our best but to no avail. In nature, the death knell tolls for babies who are rejected by their mamas. Cassie was no different. It was a crushing loss; we had tried so hard to save her. But something more devastating was about to come. God used this particular life experience to give me a loud and clear message: Despite my best efforts, “Not all will be saved.” I cried for days after I heard that. Even now it squeezes my heart when I think about it.

Today’s memory was triggered by a scripture I read: “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” Hebrews 11:7

No one had seen an ark, much less rain, but God showed them to Noah in a dream. Noah believed or why else would he have toiled to build an ark and suffer under the weight of the ridicule that came with it? I imagine that what kept him stable was the memory of the dream and the terrible vision of its fulfillment that lie ahead. Unlike the other humans on planet earth at that time, Noah had a reverential fear of the LORD. He knew that when God said, “ENOUGH!” it was time to stay out of His way and do what He said to do without question.

God gave a way of escape to whosoever would get in the ark. Today He gives a way of escape to those who will receive, commit to, and confess Jesus. But those eerie words echo in my head, “Not all will be saved.”

God is speaking through today’s prophets. There are two instances of the prophetic in my own life that keep coming back to me. The first Word came to our congregation on January 5, 2020.

“I have drawn you in circles of love. I have called you by name. I love you. Come to Me. Step into My embrace. Let Me cover you for you do not know the time, the evil, what lurks in the shadows, but I do. I would protect you. Step into My embrace. Let Me cover you. Come into My bosom. I will be to you a shield and a buckler. Will you continue to refuse and resist Me? Do not! Come to Me. For you do not know the time or the evil. I Am your Father, Healer, Friend, Savior, Deliverer, all you could ever want or need, I Am. Come to Me.”

One of the scriptures that came to mind following this Word was from Isaiah 26:20 where we are told to hide ourselves for a little while until the LORD’s anger is passed. What really encouraged me about this Word from the LORD is that He said if we would step into Him, He would hide us. Many times God presents opportunities to us in His Word: “If you will ______, then I will ______.” Fill in the blanks. On our part, it’s simple obedience. Yeah, simple yet complex all in one nut shell, eh?

In my prayer time on April 14, 2020, the LORD showed me three pictures (not in any particular order):

The first looked like a genie’s lamp. It was suspended in mid-air with the bluest colored sky as a backdrop. From it poured an abundance of oil that covered the earth and it did not cease. I believe it represents Holy Spirit’s anointing and divine healing for everyone.

The second was a collision of pictures, mostly spring/summer-like and the words, “The trees bud and the flowers bloom.”

The third picture was a high-powered spotlight and the words, “Nothing hidden will remain.”

Many are the times I have returned to these precious Words and pictures when I felt like my hope was waning.

Today’s post is two-fold. Ours is a lost and dying world. We must be the Noahs in our generation. We must push through the ridicule and continue to proclaim Jesus Christ and do our best to encourage faith in Him. “Not all will be saved.” Yes, that’s the sad truth. Agrippa told Paul, “You almost persuade me to be a Christian.” Paul’s heart must have sunk, Almost? Here’s the thing about that story, Paul gave it his best shot. We’re not responsible to judge, condemn, or browbeat people into salvation. We are responsible to share the Good News of the Gospel. When is the last time you reached out to someone on behalf of Jesus? It’s easier than we think, really. Just love.

The second part of this post is hope. God is not done. He has made certain promises that will not fail. Hold on. Keep the faith. Do not succumb to the lying taunts of the devil for I hear rumbling in the distance. It is thunder. It is the sound of God walking on the shores of our nations. Now isn’t the time to hide in the dark. It is time to shine and bring whosoever will with you as you step into the ark of His embrace. Hurry now, the rain is coming.