Appointed
Hebrews 9:27 “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement:”
By God’s appointment, every life shall end in fire:
For the Christian, it is the purifying fire of the Bema of Christ, before the eternity of Heaven.(1 Corinthians 3:13-15)
For the unsaved, it is ultimately the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20:15).
[Matthew 25:41 “Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:”
Notice: God made the Lake of Fire for the devil and his angels. Not man. Man chooses to rebel against his Maker, and refuses the only Savior.]
God has appointed this day: it is not for anyone to know.
Acts 1:7 “And He said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.”
But it is put into God’s appointment book; it will happen.
As Job said:
Job 23:13-14 “But He is in one mind and who can turn Him? And what His soul desireth, even that He doeth.
For He performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with Him.”
God performs the thing appointed. For every Christian, this is a blessed fact.
Every trial, every person, every circumstance which is in the path I am to take, following Him, is appointed for us.
1 Thessalonians 3:3 “That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereinto.”
So because God has appointed this day; He would have us receive the reward and crown He has for us.
In that day: He will purify us with fire. Today: He wants to purify us by trials.
Faith must be tried to show us that it is there, and how much we have. That is the way we learn what God will do for us.
Micah 6:8-9 “He hath showed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
The Lord’s voice crieth unto the city, and the man of wisdom shall see Thy name: hear ye the rod, and Who hath appointed it.”
[The rod here is the same as “Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.” (Psalm 23). They are given the Shepherd, both to correct the sheep and protect them.]
Our path is one in which we deal with ourselves, and others. We ask for mercy, and deal with others in mercy.
We ask for forgiveness, and forgive others.
We ask for help, and pray for help for others. (Giving it in comfort, and encouragement, as we can)
Our path is one which follows our Lord,………”to walk humbly with our God”, in the many “appointments” He has made for us.
We agree with Him in this path, leaning on Him and His Word to us, to see us through in safety.
And in joy. [And if the joy is not there, we are not really agreeing with Him, but “putting up” with Him]
He has appointed for me, and for you. Let us receive a full reward (2 John 8), and enter into all He has for us: both here, and there.
Preaching, Teaching, and Notes 