The Gospel also Sounds the Alarm

Sound the alarm! An eagle looms over the temple of the Lord! For they have broken their covenant with me, and have rebelled against my law. Hosea 8:1

Each builder worked with a sword strapped to his side, while a trumpeter remained beside me to sound an alarm. Nehemiah 4:18

Greetings in the assurance of God's Sovereign Hand;

Gospel proclamation declares the joyful good news of salvation in Jesus Christ. The voice of the believer by God's grace speaks of the precious promises of the LORD. In Christ there is the hope that does not disappoint grounded in the sacrificial work of our Saviour. Believers hold to the conviction that Christ is preparing a place for prepared people.

And we respond in a variety of ways--we gather for worship and we seek to bear witness. We participate in the body of Christ. Jesus is the way the truth and the life. We raise our voice for the cause of life. We declare the family to be foundational for societal life. Ultimately we raise our voice to honour God and to bring Him glory.

But the gospel also comes with warnings. Our testimony not only includes good news but also the bad news for those who do not trust in Christ alone for their salvation.If the Lighthouse ministry is to be faithful in her task we must also know what it is to sound alarm. Some translations of the aforementioned texts use the word trumpet.The trumpet in the context of our meditation is for the explicit purpose of sounding the alarm. Not in the sense of wringing our hands, but (even as a voice in the wilderness) to tell unbelievers that they are on a collision course that will result in devastating consequences for all of eternity.

The texts above speak to a particular context and situation--the theocratic nation. But the implications of the aforementioned texts do have application for us. And so we honour our God by speaking for the truth by the truth. May our words be measured by grace and truth, spoken in love find a place in the eardrums of those who have ears to hear.

Let us be in prayer to stay the course to be steadfast (to stand fast) in the strength of the Lord's steadfast love to us. Let us pray that when given the opportunity we would be filled with courageous courage. And let us pray that more will rise up to be part of the voice that recognizes the only way to be saved is by and through the Triune God.

Wishing you all the peace of the LORD. Sincerely, Rev. P.J. Vellenga