Withholding the Gospel is Murder
One afternoon while in my room, I suddenly heard a loud siren. This was not the siren of a firetruck or a police car. It was an outdoor siren. Knowing that sirens are used to warn of danger, I got a little anxious because I could not remember what exactly this siren was supposed to be warning me of.
So I started googling, and a few results popped up:
One result said it’s a warning that when it is heard, something dangerous is happening and all who hear should take immediate cover. I really hoped this was not the case.
Another result said it’s a warning for a tornado. SoI checked the weather forecast to see if rain was in the near future but it was so sunny outside!
Suddenly I was reminded of Ezekiel 3:18-19. In my personal time with the Lord, I came across this scripture the previous night and that morning. The Spirit of the Lord reminded me of the responsibility of the watchmen and how if he sees trouble coming and warns the people and they choose to disregard his warning, he is innocent. But if he sees trouble coming and does not raise a sound, the Lord will count the watchmen guilty for their blood.
In this scripture, the Lord is saying withholding a warning is equal to murder. If we know Jesus is coming while other people do not know Him or maybe have heard of the Lord and still live in ways that oppose His word, we, as watchmen, are called to warn them by sharing the Gospel and our testimony. Hearing such Good News could compel repentance and save someone from the second death.
Right after I got this revelation, I then googled “Marietta Outdoor sirens” and I learned every first Wednesday of every month at noon, this siren is tested. Oddly enough, I do not ever remember hearing this siren until this day when I received this revelation. I believe the Lord used this siren test to place fear within me of His command to go and preach the Gospel.
When the Holy Spirit shared this, I felt convicted. How many times has the Lord tugged on my heart to pray for someone or share Jesus with someone, and out of fear of how others would respond, I stayed quiet? But this scripture makes it clear that we are to raise our voices, not out of hate, but out of love. The Greatest Commandment is to love. How can I fulfill that scripture if I am being selfish with such Good News?
Hanging around other believers who are on fire for God and praying for God to not only give me opportunities to share the Gospel, but a heart like His that is compassionate and burdensome for souls has helped.
This day, God spoke so clearly: Preaching follows salvation. To withhold Jesus (the Good News) is murder.