A Melting or Hardening of Hearts

Greetings in the Lord!

Today's word comes from 2 Peter 3:10-13:
"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements 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."

~Twice recently I have received scriptures about "the Day of the Lord" (Amos 5:18-24 being the other). Then, yesterday I recalled the vision I had in 2004 while in Syria of fire sweeping across a world map; it began in the East & Middle East and swept up and across to Europe and beyond, westward. While I was not exactly sure what the fire represented, it seemed to me that this "sweeping fire" was being allowed to rage and consume the people of the earth. I also discerned that the "sweeping fire" would bring conflict and separation as it melted some hearts towards God and hardened others.

In the Philippines the Lord brought a Danish woman to me to minister His words to. She was a very successful, independent, and educated businesswoman. I listened as she expressed her anger over the "Mohammad" cartoons, which she said, surprised her that anyone would even care about them. She also very much resented the fact that her countrymen had been so generous to the largely unemployed Muslim immigrant population and wanted them out of her country. In my heart I discerned that the "sweeping fire" is growing hotter in Europe. You see, the Lord is allowing even trivial events to ignite the dry timbers of their hearts. The issue is about Truth; about whom or Whom they worship. While to the natural man it would seem that the Muslim and European non-Muslim are in opposite sides of the coin, in reality, many are in the same boat. Both deny Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and are allowing prejudice to fuel their fires. Oh, but the Spirit-filled Christian has much to rejoice about! We are looking forward to His promise of "a new heaven and new earth, the home of righteousness." "Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and forever! Amen." (2 Peter 3:17-18).

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