Pain without relief- Open Heavens devotional by Pastor E. A Adeboye

BIBLE IN A YEAR: Heb 8-10

PAIN WITHOUT RELIEF

Friday, March 12, 2010

MEMORIZE: “The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly” (Zeph 1:14)

Read: Zephaniah. 1:14-18

While sorrow and weeping (except weeping for joy) will be over for the righteous after the rapture, the sorrow of the world would just be beginning (Matthew 24:8). The use of the word ‘sorrow’ in the original Greek in this context means the beginning of labor pains. When a woman is travailing while about to deliver, she will go through intense pains and cries. But at the height of the pain comes the baby. And that terminates the pain and puts a smile on her face and laughter in her mouth. But the sorrow of the world comes with pain - lots of anguish sandwiched between sorrow and weeping but at the height of it all comes no relief but hell. You will not partake of the sorrow of the world in Jesus’ Name.

“The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly” (Zep. 1:14). After the rapture, the world will experience a most agonizing cry. In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus agonized so much for the sins of the world that His sweat was as thick as blood. Those who turn down His offer of Salvation and remain on earth after the rapture will experience agony, pain, sorrow and weeping at a height never experienced on planet earth.

This pain will be dished to one and all. The mighty, wealthy, influential, leader, political office holder, military officers, captains of industry, etc will cry bitterly. But there will be no solace or comfort for them. According to Malachi 3:1-3, because this present age is about to birth the next age, God will turn the world upside down and take it through fire. The sun, moon and stars will be affected (Joel 2:30-31).

The works of creation that adorn the earth and skyline today will begin to fight against the inhabitants of the earth. Are you a sinner and think you are suffering now? Sorry, you ain’t seen nothing yet! It will be worse! There is no pain relieving tablet to douse the effect of pain during the Great Tribulation. There will be no bunkers, caves or enclosures to hide. There will be no single person to even tell you ‘sorry’ because everyone will have a share of it. The only people that could have comforted you would have gone with Jesus at the rapture. You can avoid this terrible experience by receiving Jesus Christ as Lord today and living daily for Him.

ACTION POINT:
One choice everyone must make is where to suffer - either with Christ here on earth or without Christ in eternity. What’s your decision?