I am merely attempting here to put these thoughts in writing. Please go to our website www.truthwaychurch.com to access the entire message. It is well worth your listen.
There was an older couple, Bro. and Sis. Ruth, that we went to church with many years ago. They were true pillars of faith and such a tremendous example for me. On occasion, they would get up and sing this song titled, "I'm Running for my Life." It never failed to get us all in a spirit of worship. The words were simple:
I'm running for my life,
I'm running for my life,
I'm running for my life,
I'm running for my life,
If anybody asks you
What's the matter with me,
You can tell them that I'm saved and I'm sanctified,
I'm Holy Ghost filled and water baptized,
I've got Jesus on my mind,
I'm running for my life.
Genesis 19: 15-26 relates the powerful story of Lot at the fall of Sodom and Gomorrah. Let's go there and read it.
15 And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.
16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city.
17 And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed.
18 And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:
19 Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die:
20 Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.
21 And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken.
22 Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do anything till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.
23 The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.
24 Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;
25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
26 But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
When Lot and Abram parted ways, Lot chose the well watered and beautiful land near Sodom.
Genesis 13:10-13
10 And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar.
11 Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other.
12 Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.
13 But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.
Many choices we make look good from a distance, but they are near Sodom, and if we are not careful, we will find ourselves as Lot did. Notice here that Lot "pitched his tent toward Sodom." But, if you look just one chapter over, you find this.
Genesis 14:11-12
11 And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals, and went their way.
12 And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed.
In a short amount of time, Lot was not just looking toward Sodom, he was in it! He was living there, known in the streets, he was someone in the city.
Let's take a side track here. Sin will take you farther than you ever planned to go. One day you are just looking at that bad website, one day you are just trying to connect with a "friend" from your past, one day you just decide to go after work with your workmates, but sin never leaves you there. It's usually not a one time stop. Next time it is easier to get a little closer and a littler closer until you are consumed with sin.
Sodom was a wicked place. If you read the descriptions, it sounds much like the modern day culture we will live in. If you don't think that sin will take you farther than you ever wanted to go, read chapter 19 of Genesis in its entirety. Lot actually offered to give his daughters to the wicked men who came to the door demanding that the angels be sent out to them. What father would do that? I tell you it is one living outside of the protection of God.
God's message was clear. Run for your life. Don't look back.
And yet Lot insisted on a compromise, send me to Zoar.
Zoar which means insignificant.
Lot had choices to make. And his choices led him to a place of insignificance.
Has God called you out of a situation? Has he provided you an escape route to a life going nowhere fast? Has He delivered you from sin?
Run.
Don't argue, quit justifying.
Don't look back.
The main thing most people think of is Lot's wife who was turned into a pillar of salt for looking back at the life she was leaving behind. Lot's wife, who was never even mentioned by name. Her great claim to fame in the Bible, if you will, was her disobedience and the consequences of it.
Here we are, folks.
2019.
It is crazy to believe that. But, it's true.
And, it seems to me there is a shift happening.
We have some decisions to make. Do we leave some things behind and escape these areas that have been harming us spiritually? Do we "pitch our tents" toward the sins that have been holding us back?
Or do we run and never look back?
RUN.
I say we RUN.
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