I feel the pain!

Revelation 16 (The Message)

 ¹ I heard a shout of command from the Temple to the Seven Angels: "Begin! Pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on earth!" ²The first Angel stepped up and poured his bowl out on earth: Loathsome, stinking sores erupted on all who had taken the mark of the Beast and worshiped its image.³The second Angel poured his bowl on the sea: The sea coagulated into blood, and everything in it died.^4-7The third Angel poured his bowl on rivers and springs: The waters turned to blood. I heard the Angel of Waters say, Righteous you are, and your judgments are righteous, The Is, The Was, The Holy. They poured out the blood of saints and prophets so you've given them blood to drink— they've gotten what they deserve! Just then I heard the Altar chime in, Yes, O God, the Sovereign-Strong! Your judgments are true and just!^8-9The fourth Angel poured his bowl on the sun: Fire blazed from the sun and scorched men and women. Burned and blistered, they cursed God's Name, the God behind these disasters. They refused to repent, refused to honor God.^10-11The fifth Angel poured his bowl on the throne of the Beast: Its kingdom fell into sudden eclipse. Mad with pain, men and women bit and chewed their tongues, cursed the God-of-Heaven for their torment and sores, and refused to repent and change their ways.^12-14The sixth Angel poured his bowl on the great Euphrates River: It dried up to nothing. The dry riverbed became a fine roadbed for the kings from the East. From the mouths of the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet I saw three foul demons crawl out—they looked like frogs. These are demon spirits performing signs. They're after the kings of the whole world to get them gathered for battle on the Great Day of God, the Sovereign-Strong.¹⁵"Keep watch! I come unannounced, like a thief. You're blessed if, awake and dressed, you're ready for me. Too bad if you're found running through the streets, naked and ashamed."¹⁶The frog-demons gathered the kings together at the place called in Hebrew Armageddon.^17-21The seventh Angel poured his bowl into the air: From the Throne in the Temple came a shout, "Done!" followed by lightning flashes and shouts, thunder crashes and a colossal earthquake—a huge and devastating earthquake, never an earthquake like it since time began. The Great City split three ways, the cities of the nations toppled to ruin. Great Babylon had to drink the wine of God's raging anger—God remembered to give her the cup! Every island fled and not a mountain was to be found. Hailstones weighing a ton plummeted, crushing and smashing men and women as they cursed God for the hail, the epic disaster of hail.

I doubt that too many non-christians know or have read this part of the Bible. As a matter of fact, I think most Christians avoid reading this part of the Bible. It's painful to read. When we finally get to the point where God unleashes the 7 disasters, it hurts. The seven disasters are not for followers. The disasters are meant for those who have refused to follow and rejected the God of the universe. So why do I hurt so bad when i read this? Well................  I know people who will suffer through the pain of these disasters. I am in pain for them. I can't even imagine the pain that will be suffered those who reject Christ. I have friends who don't have a relationship with Christ. I have family members who are not committed to him. There is nowhere immune to the disasters. The Earth, the Seas, the Rivers and Springs, the Air. The disasters will be colossal. Only God! It is typical for people to blame God for disasters, especially these disasters. God is behind them, but he has given all of us the opportunity to avoid the pain and suffering. Jesus Death on the Cross gave us the opportunity of eternal protection. For those who reject that protection, I feel the pain. 

You still have time. Those of you reading this who have not committed yourselves to the saving grace of Jesus Christ, you still have time. Don't wait. Repent. Change your ways. No longer curse God. But, bow to his power. God is giving you the time. Don't wait until the final words are spoken, "It is Done!" It is so easy to say it's not going to happen to me. It's easy to say this won't happen. So you could take the risk that it's not. You could take the chance that these disasters are nothing more than Science Fiction. What if they are real? They are! Don't wait to find out!

Dear Lord, Save us! Amen!