God Will Save Us
Now we live in a prophetic age when God's care and protection are needed much more than ever before.
In regard to Influenza A/H1N1, the South Korean Government raised its flu alert status to the highest "red" level in early November, and is struggling to develop countermeasures against the flu. A few months ago, the WHO and many countries in the world already declared the H1N1 flu to be a global "pandemic," raising its alert level to 6, the highest phase. The US even declared a national emergency for the flu pandemic.
At a time when disasters are rampant, God's people need God's saving hand more than anything else. So, now let's take some time to review the teachings about God's salvation through the Bible.
No disaster will come near those whose help is God
God is our Shepherd and our Savior. He is the only One we can trust.
Ps 91:1-11 『He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust." Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare and from the deadly pestilence. . . . A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only observe with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. If you make the Most High your dwelling-even the LORD, who is my refuge-then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.』
These are the words of comfort that God has given to those who live in His promise. The Bible tells us that God saves us, His children, even from the deadly pestilence (an infectious disease) and sends His angels to guide and protect us in all our ways, so no disaster will come near us although a thousand or ten thousand may fall at our side.
When disasters become more severe and things beyond human capacity happen unexpectedly, who can we trust? Please think carefully about who can help us escape disasters.
Ps 121:1-2 『I lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.』
Ps 127:1 『Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.』
It is Elohim who created the heavens and the earth. Nothing or no one except God can save us, and no matter how hard humans try to carry out things, unless God is with them, all their efforts are in vain. When Elohim our Creators lead us and we obey Their will, everything can be accomplished flawlessly.
We must not forget our Heavenly Father and Mother who help us and carry out the work of salvation, nor should we betray Their love. Running toward the glory of heaven, let's powerfully preach the good news of salvation to all the wretched souls who are heading towards destruction.
Ps 146:1-5 『Praise the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. . . . I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. Do not put your trust in princes, in mortal men, who cannot save. When their spirit departs, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans come to nothing. Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God.』
No matter how strong and powerful a man may be, the moment will surely come when he will be as nothing at all. The Bible prophesies that on God's appointed day the warriors will cry out bitterly, the king and the officials will lose heart and men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world (Zep 1:14; Jer 4:9; Lk 21:26). So, blessed is the person who trusts only in God, not relying on men.
God is the only solution in this age of disaster. Since Elohim will save us from all difficulties and disasters, we, children of God, should put our hope in Elohim at Zion where They dwell and give glory and praise to Them.
Salvation given to the people of Zion
God helps the people of Zion and saves them. The Bible teaches that those who dwell in Zion are God's true people. God has promised to dwell in Zion and to become the God of the people of Zion.
Ps 51:16 『"I have put my words in your mouth and covered you with the shadow of my hand-I who set the heavens in place, who laid the foundations of the earth, and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.' "』
Isa 33:20-24 『Look upon Zion, the city of our festivals; your eyes will see Jerusalem, a peaceful abode, a tent that will not be moved; its stakes will never be pulled up, nor any of its ropes broken. There the LORD will be our Mighty One. It will be like a place of broad rivers and streams. No galley with oars will ride them, no mighty ship will sail them. For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us. . . . and the sins of those who dwell there will be forgiven.』
Zion is the place where God's appointed feasts are celebrated. It is only the Church of God that keeps the feasts of the new covenant on this earth. So, this place where we've come to now is the very Zion.
Since God is the King and Savior of Zion, we must entrust God with our salvation. Even though all kinds of disasters are now rampant throughout the world, God will save us because He is our King.
Jer 31:31-34 『"The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. . . . This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."』
God has become the God of the people who have His law, the new covenant, in their hearts and keep it. God, the Maker of heaven and earth, who saves His people from disasters even when a thousand or ten thousand fall at their side, is the God who dwells in Zion-the God of the people who keep the new covenant.
Only the people who engrave God's law in their hearts and keep it and who trust in God and revere Him will be saved from all disasters in these last days. God guards and protects the people of Zion until the end. It is God who protected the Israelites so that not one of them would lose a single hair from their heads when the plagues came upon all the land of Egypt. It is also God who declared His law in Zion and commanded His people not to forget the Passover of the new covenant but to keep it for the generations to come.
Now God shows human beings many signs through which He tells them to return to Zion without hesitation. We, who look at the lamp of prophecy, should always trust in God's deliverance and follow only the teachings of Elohim to the end, giving thanks, glory and praise to God all the time.
God gives eternal salvation
Some people say that there are cases where people are saved from disaster even though they do not believe in God correctly. However, that is not true salvation.
At the time of the 9.11 terrorist attacks in the USA, there was a person who barely survived, but some time later he was killed in another accident. He was lucky to escape one disaster, but soon encountered another disaster. So, we cannot say that it is true salvation.
The TV movie "The Day After" was once telecast in the US and evoked a great sensation from among people. The movie shows that the situation after a nuclear explosion is as serious as the moment of explosion. Even if people survive, there is no place to receive treatment for their injuries and no place to find food because the earth is completely devastated by the radioactive dust. The movie highlights the fact that the suffering of the nuclear survivors is more severe than that of the dead. Although they've barely escaped a temporary crisis, a more severe suffering is waiting for them, so it cannot be said that they are truly saved.
The salvation God has prepared for us is eternal salvation. God not only saves us from temporary crises and disasters on this earth, but even grants us the eternal glory in a new heaven and a new earth.
2 Pe 3:10-15 『But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. Bear in mind that our Lord's patience means salvation, . . .』
As God has promised to save us from the deadly pestilence and all other disasters, we are now looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth. God has prepared a new world where there is no more death or mourning or crying or pain, and is leading us there.
Rev 21:1-7 『Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" . . .』
Apostle John also saw in his vision a new heaven and a new earth. In the new world, God says, "I will be their God, and they will be my people," and promises to let His people reign for ever and ever. This is the true salvation.
Rev 22:3-5 『No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.』
Elohim our Creators have granted us, people of Zion, a new heaven and a new earth, and have prepared a glorious future for us, where we will reign for ever and ever. Now the news about many disasters is frightening the world, but even amid the gloomy news, we should foresee a bright future in the kingdom of heaven, keeping in mind God's promise to let no disaster come near us-the people who live in the truth of the new covenant.
Let's proclaim God's salvation
We always need God. Let us live in God's promise and put God in our hearts without forgetting Him. Every day, let's ponder over what God's will and commands are, what God is pleased with, and what God is anxious and worried about.
God expresses His heart by saying, "How distressed I am!" (Lk 12:50). He feels distressed because people do not realize Him even while reading the Bible, feels distressed because they do not interpret this present time even though they see many signs, and also feels distressed because they fail to share in His glory without knowing the prepared blessings and glory of heaven and without doing His will. Thus, there must be so many things that make God distressed.
Let us not keep the good news of salvation to ourselves, but let it be known to all people, so that we can go to heaven together. Recently, scientists have warned against disasters through many convincing proofs. They say that it is a sin against humanity if we know about the impending disaster but do not tell it to people. We must not be criminals by keeping the truth to ourselves, but tell it to all people in the world, as God said, "Give them warning from me." God who dwells in Zion saves us not only from various disasters rampant throughout the world but also from the eternal disaster-punishment in hell where the fire never goes out-and leads us to the kingdom of heaven. So, let's blow the trumpet clearly, telling people to return to Zion and escape disasters (Jer 4:5-6). I earnestly ask you all to have wisdom and insight to foresee the future through all signs small and great, which appear in the world, and to lead all your family, neighbors, friends and relatives to Zion and to the way of salvation.
Please preach the Passover, the good news of salvation, as much as you can. At the time of Moses, when this good news was preached, the Egyptians did not listen to it, while the Israelites listened. What was their fate?
Through the Passover, God distinguishes His people from those who are not. So, God tells us to always have His law, the new covenant, in our hearts. I repeatedly ask all you people of Zion to participate in the salvation of God who leads us to a new heaven and a new earth, and to quickly lead many people around the world, who are living without knowing the way of salvation, to the Church of God where there is the kingdom of heaven, salvation and the truth.
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