Code Red
To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Indeed their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot give heed. Behold, the word of the LORD is a reproach to them; they have no delight in it. Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD. I am weary of holding it in. – Jeremiah 6:10-11 NKJV.
To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. – Colossians 1:27-28 NKJV.
Monday morning when we returned to the hospital to check on our grandson, we had an interesting experience. We had just entered into the hospital when an alarm began to sound, along with a voice announcing, “Code Red,” “Code Red.” Every few seconds the voice would announce, while the alarm, continued to sound, “Code Red,” “Code Red.”
As we entered an elevator, I asked a woman who got onto the elevator with us if she knew what “Code Red” meant. She said she didn’t know but thought it couldn’t be anything good. Immediately after we left the elevator, the woman asked another woman who had a hospital ID what “Code Red” meant. The hospital staff member responded calmly and sweetly that, “Oh, it’s a fire alarm.” The other woman then asked her if it was a fire drill. The staff member said “No, it’s a fire.” And then she said, “It’s in the basement, and it happens all the time.” Since we were on the lower level, a fire in the basement was a little concerning to us. However, with the alarm still sounding, and with the voice still announcing “Code Red,” “Code Red”; everyone calmly continued on their way as if there were no alarm blaring in their ears!
The disregard of the people at the hospital for the warnings of the fire alarm reminds me of the disregard people have for the warnings of the Word of God. Not only do they disregard and dismiss God’s warning through His Word; they also disregard and dismiss warnings from His messengers. Jeremiah continually, at great personal risk, warned of the consequences of the immorality of the Hebrew people. The consequences were to be taken into captivity by a foreign country, which did finally occur.
The people of this world have not changed much from the people Jeremiah’s time. The people today are just as dismissive and have just as much disregard for God’s Word and His messengers, as did the people of Jeremiah’s day. The only difference is that it may be worse today than it was in the time of Jeremiah.
At some point in time, for every person, we will come to the end of the road of life and face the consequences for our decisions. As we are told in the Book of Hebrews, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27).” We are told more about what is ahead in Revelation 20:11-15 where John says, “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”
Is your name written in the Book of Life? Have you received Jesus Christ as your personal Savior? If not, the alarm is sounding, and all of Heaven is shouting “Code Red,” “Code Red.” Can you hear the warning? “Behold, now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).” I plead with you to receive Jesus today as your personal Savior before it is eternally too late.
(At some point in time, for every person, we will come to the end of the road of life, and face the consequences for our decisions.)