1. Though the SIN of Sodom and Gomorrah stank to the heavens, God brought Lot, his wife and two daughters out, “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes CONDEMNED THEM WITH AN OVERTHROW, making them AN EXAMPLE UNTO THOSE THAT AFTER SHOULD LIVE UNGODLY” [2 Peter 2:6] This generation surpass the ABOMINATIONS of Sodom, adding TRANSGENDERS, TRANSVESTITES and NO GENDERS to SODOMY. Even so, God has made provision for you and I, to be SAVED, “The LIKE FIGURE WHEREUNTO EVEN BAPTISM DOTH ALSO NOW SAVE US (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) BY THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST” [1 Peter 3:21] Alas, having escaped the FILTH of Sodom, Lot’s wife LOOKED BACK, “… from BEHIND HIM, and SHE BECAME A PILLAR OF SALT” [Genesis 19:26] Beloved, let us HOLD TIGHT to our SALVATION not LOOKING BACK, “… NO MAN, having put his hand to the plough, and LOOKING BACK, IS FIT FOR THE KINGDOM OF GOD” [Luke 9:62]
2. The angels gave clear instructions to Lot and his family, “… ESCAPE FOR THY LIFE, LOOK NOT BEHIND thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; ESCAPE to the mountain…” [Genesis 19:17] The same apply to us, if so be we are BORN AGAIN; “… having ESCAPED THE CORRUPTION THAT IS IN THE WORLD through lust” [2 Peter 1:4] They took nothing out of Sodom, even as it is certain we shall take nothing out of this world. Let us therefore RUN, not as Lot’s wife LAGGED BEHIND, overwhelmed with THOUGHTS of her LOSSES and expired EXPECTATIONS. Every recurring THOUGHT of LOSS incurred for coming to Jesus Christ is an unwanted BURDEN, “… LET US LAY ASIDE EVERY WEIGHT, and the SIN which doth so easily beset us, and let us RUN WITH PATIENCE THE RACE that is set before us” [Hebrews 12:1] Likewise, whatever we were or HOPED to be in times past were buried with Jesus Christ, and “… if any man be in Christ, he is a NEW CREATURE: OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY; behold, ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW” [2 Corinthians 5:17] Whenever we are overcome with THOUGHTS of “OLD THINGS”, it is a sign we are “DRAWING “BACK”, “But we are not of them WHO DRAW BACK UNTO PERDITION; but of them that BELIEVE TO THE SAVING OF THE SOUL” [Hebrews 10:39] Now, more than ever before, let us keep the FIRE of FAITH burning “LOOKING DILIGENTLY lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any ROOT OF BITTERNESS SPRING UP TROUBLE YOU, and thereby many be defiled” [Hebrews 12:15]
3. Somewhere on the plains of Jordan is a PILLAR OF SALT; a tragic memorial to the DISOBEDIENCE of Lot’s wife. DISOBEDIENCE is the root NATURE of SINFUL MAN, but in Christ, “… our OLD MAN IS CRUCIFIED WITH HIM, that the BODY OF SIN MIGHT BE DESTROYED, that henceforth WE SHOULD NOT SERVE SIN” [Romans 6:6] When we come to Christ in genuine REPENTANCE, DISOBEDIENCE is CRUCIFIED, but we are not ALIVE in OBEDIENCE until we are CONVERTED to NEWNESS OF LIFE, even “… as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so WE ALSO SHOULD WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE” [Romans 6:4] We are CONVERTED to OBEDIENCE through BAPTISM of the Holy Ghost, “Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, THROUGH SANCTIFICATION OF THE SPIRIT, UNTO OBEDIENCE … ” [2 Peter 1:2] DISOBEDIENCE may be pleasing to the FLESH, it is a signal we are TURNING BACK. Needless to say, OBEDIENCE is a magnet for “SUFFERING”, and Christ “Though he were a Son, yet LEARNED HE OBEDIENCE BY THE THINGS WHICH HE SUFFERED” [Hebrews 5:8] Let us walk in OBEDIENCE to PRESENT TRUTH, not as Lot’s wife who counted her LOSSES far above the glory of SALVATION, “Yea, and all that will LIVE GODLY IN CHRIST SHALL SUFFER PERSECUTION” [2 Timothy 3:12] Beloved, our SUFFERING is for a while, and “IF WE SUFFER, WE SHALL ALSO REIGN WITH HIM: if we deny him, he also will deny us” [2 Timothy 2:12]
4. LOOKING BACK begins with a reckless THOUGHT of LOSS incurred for the sake of Christ or an ambition dashed for standing in FAITH. If it is left unchecked, it grows into a tsunami, overwhelms the mind and turns OBEDIENCE into REBELLION. If any man TURNS BACK from OBEDIENCE to Christ to DISOBEDIENCE, there is no HOPE of redemption, “For IF WE SIN WILFULLY after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, THERE REMAINETH NO MORE SACRIFICE FOR SINS, But a certain fearful looking for of JUDGMENT and FIERY INDIGNATION, which shall devour the adversaries” [Hebrews 10:26-27] I plead with you to put away every THOUGHT that DISTRACTS you, and walk in OBEDIENCE to PRESENT TRUTH, “… knowing the time, that now it is high time to AWAKE OUT OF SLEEP: for NOW IS OUR SALVATION NEARER THAN WHEN WE BELIEVED” [Romans 13:11] We have in our favour SURE PROMISES of BETTER THINGS than we can every pray for or imagine at the appearance of Jesus Christ, as it is written: “… I WILL COME AGAIN, and receive you unto myself; that WHERE I AM, THERE YE MAY BE ALSO” [John 14:3] Having such a PROMISE, let us PRESS FORWARD to the mark of His CALLING, not LOOKING BACK, but “… FORGETTING THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEHIND, and REACHING FORTH UNTO THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE BEFORE” [Philippians 3:13]
5. If you have not known Him, accept Jesus Christ today as your Lord and Saviour, amen
voiceoflasttrumpets 