If They Only Knew

“If They Only Knew”

I Cor. 2:9-10

Today, one this, the first Lord’s day of 2006, I am impressed to bring a word from the Lord, taken from the book of I Corinthians 2, verses 9-10. There we read, “But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.”

· At this time, who here among us can tell what tomorrow holds?

· Who can tell, who will be born in 2006, and who shall die?

· Who, here, can give, with exact detail, that 2006 shall bring?

It is my belief that no man, or woman…no boy or girl, no angel of God or demon of Satan, can impart these facts to us, or to others.

With that said, who knew that on April 19, 1995, as the spring air cooled the exposed faces of men and women, that a madman had placed and detonated a bomb, that would send 168 souls into the embrace of eternity, some prepared, others, not.

Who knew that on September 11, 2001 terrorist would hijack American planes, and fly them into the World Trade Center, some being vaporized in the explosion of jet fuel and the collision? Others, leaping hundreds of feet to the death, hoping against hope, that some how they might survive.

Who knew that on February 1, 2003 that seven of the brightest minds that have graced this earth, would be snatched from us, in that horrific explosive of the Space Shuttle Columbia.

But, Who knew?

It’s safe to say, that if the citizens of Oklahoma City knew that a madman was going to blow up the Murrull Federal Building, they wouldn’t have been anywhere near.

It’s safe to say, that if the thousands of workers in New York knew that radical Muslims were going to fly airplanes into the World Trade Centers, they, too, would have run as far as possible in another direction.

It’s safe to say, that if the seven astronauts of Columbia knew that the heat shields were going to fail on re-entry, they would have foregone that particular flight, and waited for another.

But, Who knew?

As you sit there today, I’m sure that someone, perhaps more than one, is thinking…wishing that they knew what 2006 holds for them.

· Will I find my soul mate?

· Will I be delivered from the slavery of debt?

· Will I be diagnosed with Cancer?

· Will my backslidden child come home?

Some will invest precious time and money, and seek the counsel of a variety of so-called experts.

· It may be the daily horoscope, or the faithful sayings of the Farmers Almanac, perhaps, or the soothing words of a medium or fortune-teller.

As long as time has been, people, including God’s people, have strained to look into the heart of tomorrow, so as to perhaps themselves today.

King Saul, the political leader of Israel, when faced with a problem that his flesh, his Amalek, could not answer, sought the advice of the witch of Endor, causing him to loss his crown.

As well known as the exploits of a prostitute are, the dealings of sooth-sayers, mediums, and false prophets, are just as infamous. So much so, that God has take time to record, for our protection, the guideline for how we, His people can tell if a forth-teller is speaking for God, or fore themselves.

In Deuteronomy 18:22, the Word of God reads, "When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously:"

That is to say, if a man or woman makes a prediction, and that prediction does not come to pass, then they are not of God.

Yet, to this day,

· people, including God’s people, still consult their daily horoscope before going about their day.

· People, including God’s people, read the Farmers Almanac hoping to brace themselves for what might lie ahead.

· People, including God’s people pay soothsayers, mediums, and witches, to tell them what tomorrow holds.

It goes without saying, that this is wrong. But, let me ask a question. If you knew the future, what would you do with it?

· If you knew that a business owner accidentally left their door unlocked, would you go there and rob him?

· If you knew the winning lottery numbers, would you play them?

· If you someone left the keys in their car, would you take it?

· If you knew where a teacher inadvertently dropped the answers to a test, would you go get them and use them?