April 13, 2026:

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.“

(Matthew 10.15)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

If you are not familiar of the context of this teaching of Jesus, then let’s briefly remember it. Lot, his wife and his beautiful daughters lived in Sodom. For whatever reason, the communities of Sodom and Gomorrah had become a collection of perverted individuals who had made sexual desire their god. They simply were bound to lusting carnality. They had lost all boundaries of decency and moral dignity. They did not care for the order and design which God had created humanity to follow, enjoy and find true fulfillment. Homosexuality, bestiality and every other kind of sexuality which stood apart from honoring God and self as husband and wife was considered, imagined and brought into being in Sodom and Gomorrah. They literally were consumed with the fiery passion of sex. Abraham knew of the condition in which Lot and his family had found themselves. Hearing that God was going to judge them harshly because of their lack of desire to repent and turn back to God to live in the fullness of His covenant, Abraham pleaded for Lot and his family to be spared. God said that if there were at least ten righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah, He would spare the cities from His judgment. When the angels of the Lord went down to Sodom and Gomorrah to speak with Lot, the citizens of those towns desired the angels in a carnal way. They approached them and sought to seduce them. Lot seeing such perverse attitudes toward the angels of the Lord even offered up his own daughters in their place (what kind of “righteous man” was that, I do not know.) The offer was refused. The city did not honor Lot and his extension of hospitality to the angels into his home. So, the angels took Lot, his wife and his daughters out and the cities were destroyed in a divine conflagration.

Jesus assured His disciples that judgment would come upon those who would refuse to accept the gospel and welcome them into their own home. They themselves did not have to be burdened with those who were witnesses to the power of the gospel to heal, save and restore and refused to repent, be made whole and reconciled into the fold of Israel, We know that later James and John, the Sons of Thunder, would come across a city that would not extend hospitality to Jesus and the disciples. They asked Jesus if they could call down hellfire and brimstone from Heaven upon them. (Luke 9.51-55) Jesus rebuked them and the whole entourage went to another city. In essence, Jesus kicked the dust off His feet and moved on. The lack of belief and hospitality would result in those people facing the severity of judgment on the Day of Judgment. They would not be instantly destroyed as in the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. In truth, Jesus said that it would be worse for them than it was for Sodom and Gomorrah. How could it be worse? It was worse because those in Sodom and Gomorrah had never seen the presence of the Lord, only His angels. There was no afterlife for them. They were consumed heart, mind, body and soul in that moment. But, for that city of Samaria, God Himself in Jesus Christ, had passed their way. The evidences of His righteousness and His desire to save were extended to them and they refused. On the day of their judgment, the fate was not instantaneous and complete annihilation. No, the body burned and the soul meant to be filled with the glorious presence of God remained filled with sin that could not be redeemed. They would be in such a condition that they would beg for mercy and there would be none for the time of their redemption had come and they refused. I cannot help but believe this is the understanding of Jesus’ teaching about the “Unforgivable Sin.” Having been witnessed to by the very Spirit of God, the offer to believe and be saved was refused. How could they be saved if they denied the very essence of life which created their lives. Without the Spirit of God in them as a free and good gift, there was only one end.

Mighty ones of God, the world is being witnessed to by those who will hold true to the witness and testimony of faith. They will even lay down their lives in the hope of convincing others of their faith and trust in the God of deliverance who made Himself known not in angels alone but in the very Son of God. We are those witnesses. We are a part of the priesthood of all believers surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses before who made the choice to forsake the ways of the world and take on the ways of the Kingdom. Our is not to judge those who refuse the gospel and the Lord of the gospel. Ours is to take it to every tribe and every nation and set about making disciples in them and of them baptizing them into the body of Christ covered by the covenant of His blood of salvation. We turn over judgment and such justice as has been told to them to the King of kings, Lord of lords and Judge of all heaven and earth. It is His final word that will make it so. And they will not be destroyed in the fire but thrown into the midst of the fire that will not consume them but be an everpresent reality they would wish to escape but will not. It will be so bad they will wish to die but not so bad they would choose death over their sin. Woe to those on that day!

TODAY’S PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.