Deuteronomy 11:26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: 28 And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known.
This passage of scripture teaches us the sacred truth that there are positive and negative promises in the Bible, meaning that obedience generally results in blessings, and rebellion results in curses. It is a fact that obedience to the word of God on a consistent basis will result in spiritual and temporal blessings to those who follow God's instructions, however it is not in every instance where those benefits may be made immediately apparent.
There are some cases, such as the experience of Joseph and Potiphar's wife, where obedience to God's word did not immediately translate into what finite man may view as a blessing, for it takes great faith to see the blessing in jail time. But because all things work together for the good of those who love God, those bitter experiences are often used as stepping stones in the fine tuning of one's character, and in this sense, even the rainy days are indeed blessings to the righteous.
On the contrary, curses or negative experiences are promised to those who choose a wrong course of action, and this applies even in some cases where a person might have done so ignorantly. Ignorance does not change the outcome in many experiences, for the laws of cause and effect do not take into consideration a lack of knowledge, except God intervenes in a very special way to reverse the normal operation of these laws. If someone were to touch a high tension electrical wire through ignorance, they can be electrocuted the same as someone who did so intentionally. And thus it is very important for us as Christians to understand these basic principles in the context of the times in which we live.
On this forum, a considerable amount of time has been spent going through the various verses of scripture which teach these sacred truths, and God has commanded that ample warning should be given, as it pertains to the harsh penalties that will accrue as a result of the passing of national laws which will destroy the marriage institution, and thereby trigger the collapse of society. And now that it has become the law of the land in all fifty states we may expect shock waves in the financial markets, beginning today, 06/29/2015, and continuing, together with calamities by air, sea, and land, coupled together with record breaking heat waves, and storms of no ordinary character. This is according to the precedents set in scripture. Let's read:
1st Kings 18:2 And Elijah went to shew himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria. 17 And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? 18 And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the Lord, and thou hast followed Baalim.
A year passes, and yet there is no rain. The earth is parched as if with fire. The scorching heat of the sun destroys what little vegetation has survived. Streams dry up, and lowing herds and bleating flocks wander hither and thither in distress. Once-flourishing fields have become like burning desert sands, a desolate waste. The groves dedicated to idol worship are leafless; the forest trees, gaunt skeletons of nature, afford no shade. The air is dry and suffocating; dust storms blind the eyes and nearly stop the breath. Once-prosperous cities and villages have become places of mourning. Hunger and thirst are telling upon man and beast with fearful mortality. Famine, with all its horror, comes closer and still closer. Prophets and kings pp. 124 & 125.
The reason why these dire warnings are being issued now is not that we should become fearful or discouraged, but rather to cause us to awake out of slumber, for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed. The stock markets around the world are in for a severe beating, and God desires all Christians to reason soberly from cause to effect, and to note the timing of these events, knowing that the coming judgments are the direct result of the issue of "Positive and negative promises", as it pertains to obedience and rebellion respectively.
In other words, the human family should not be found harboring unrealistic expectations of peace and prosperity after we have thrown out the laws and institutions of God as being irrelevant and archaic. This line of reasoning, in which the blessings of God are expected in return for rebellion, the Bible especially warns us about. Let's read:
Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
It is therefore our positive duty to do all we can to help finish the work of the gospel in all the world, and seek to save as many as would be saved, whilst the final moments of probationary time still linger. Proactive steps should now be taken by all true Christians to tell everyone in our corner of the vineyard that the coming of The Lord is near, even at the doors, and thus the urgent decisions that need to be made, should not be put off for another day. We therefore end with a passage of scripture to this end, and it is the will of God that we all now live in readiness, and help to get others ready, for the time is at hand. Let's read:
Hebrews 3:7 Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice, 8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation".... 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. 14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; 15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your heart.
He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what The Spirit saith unto the churches. God bless!