The Jester

He got way too chummy with the world and the friends of the world. He lived far too close to the edge of sin. He compromised and blurred the lines between righteous living and doing what felt right to the flesh. He strayed. He turned a blind eye to sin. Only God knows how much of it he engaged in when no-one was looking.

He had good pedigree. A relative of his was a well known spiritual giant. He had been taught rightly. He often made decisions on what appealed to his senses more than what honored God. He chose to live in an immoral community. He put himself, his family, and his faith in danger.

One day he met a couple of eccentric men who came to down bearing a doom and gloom message. The kind of message nobody wants and to hear and even fewer are willing to receive and heed. The messengers warned of judgment coming. The compromiser was advised to get his family and move out of town immediately.

Lot went to the two young men pledged to marry his daughters to warn them. Their response is pitiful. Genesis 19:14 (ESV) 
¹⁴  So Lot went out and said to his sons-in-law, who were to marry his daughters, “Up! Get out of this place, for the LORD is about to destroy the city.” But he seemed to his sons-in-law to be jesting. 

The word jesting means to play, mock, make sport. They did not take Lot seriously. Why would they. I am sure they saw nothing different than any other person in their wicked town of Sodom in Lot. Lot had turned a blind eye to sin for a long time. That is why when the messengers came to town he urged them not to sleep in the public square. He persuaded them to come to his house for the night. When word got out, every single man in town came to Lot's door to have homosexual relations wth the two messengers. If every male came that would include the two young men who were going to marry his daughter. 

Lot tried to reason with the townsmen. None listened. Lot even offered to throw his virgin daughters to this disgusting pack of lustful sodomites to appease their wicked lusts.  Lot probably could not see how far he had fallen. Compromise can do that. A little fudging here with crude language and jokes. Cutting a corner there in what you watch and view. A little sip here, a full can there, a glass to not the edge off. Desensitizing self to sin. Getting comfortable around sin. The lines blur. Holiness verses hypocrisy wages war in the soul. 

Then one day in earnest such people try to speak for God. The listeners who see and watch compromising convictions do not listen. They laugh it off and make fun of you for being a religious fanatic. 

Tragically, Lot's compromising ways cost two young men pledged to be his son in laws their lives when God poured out His wrath. 

The hypocrites take a great many souls to hell. It all appears jesting and another soul falls into eternal damnation. 

Some might say I am too zealous. Too hard. Too serious minded. Why don't I loosen up and have a good time. How can I loosen up when the souls of millions hang by a mere breath between heaven and hell. How can I write fluff when God keeps stirring me that very troubling times are just ahead. How can I pretend all is well when at any moment another terror attack could  take thousands of unsuspecting lives straight to hell because they are not in relationship with Jesus. They have never repented, been saved, and made righteous by His blood sacrifice.  I cannot just play it off to tickle the ears and get a larger following. NO! I don't want anybody thinking I am jesting. As George Whitfield, that fiery 17th century evangelist once said, "I do not want to be a velvet mouthed preacher." 

I am not jesting, mocking, playing or making sport. I am warning a whole nation. Very disturbing times and grievous events are ahead. I hope people will repent and get blood earnest about their relationship with Christ. I wish thousands would read this. Sadly I know barely a dozen will ever read this without God's miraculous intervention. May God raise sober minded believers and deliver His church from jesters.