MY FRIENDS, THE PROSPERITY OF THE WICKED IS ONLY FOR A MOMENT SALVATION IS ETERNAL

May 17, 2016

MY FRIENDS, THE PROSPERITY OF THE WICKED IS ONLY FOR A MOMENT SALVATION IS ETERNAL

“But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked….. Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end.” Ps. 73:2-3 (NKJV) David tells us he almost slipped, because his focus went from the presence of God, to being fixated on the things of this world. And at this point, we must all enter the “sanctuary of God.”

This is where His presence is. And this is where our passion must remain. “As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.” Ps. 42:1 (NKJV) My friends, the world has so much to offer and its “way seems right to a man [or woman] But its end is the way of death. Prov. 14:12 (NKJV) Trying to stay focused “on things above, not on things on the earth” is a feat that can only be accomplished if we keep our eyes on the one who gave it all for our salvation.

Because once our focus is shifted on self, this is when “we stumbled and our steps begin to slip” towards perdition. Remember “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Eph. 6:12 (NIV) And this great controversy is over our souls and the battle rages daily within us.

Isaiah in Is. 3:10-11(NIV) is a warning that tells us “the righteous, it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds. Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them they will be paid back for what their hands have done.” So we must look where God has brought us from and where this journey will take us. In addition, our faith must tell us, the Good Shepherd is our fortress against the god of this world and his attempt to lead us away from His presence.

Satan will keep us thinking, the world owes us, so we must continue to pursue after what it offers as we begin to acquire more things that one day will “pass away, and the lust thereof….” 1 John 2:17 (ASV)  My friends, let’s look at the fate of the wicked. There were only eight saved after Noah had preached for one hundred and twenty years. Sodom and Gomorrah was destroyed even after Abraham pleads to the Lord “Suppose ten should be found there?”

God responds, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten. Oh the grace of God. But, not even ten were found “and when the morning dawned, the angels urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Arise, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.” Abraham pleaded, “if only ten,” but, there were only three. Lot’s wife almost made it, but her feet stumbled and slipped towards the abyss.

She was “envious of the boastful and the prosperity of the wicked.” In addition, we have to have a passion to be a disciple of Christ and be one of the few who will make up God’s kingdom. But even the few John says; “will make up a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,” Rev 7:9 (NKJV) My friends, don’s give it all up because we envy the prosperity of the wicked, remember Salvation is eternal.