When I was young, my family lived on a farm; and we put scarecrows in our fields to drive away the crows that would eat our corn. Of course, the scarecrows were not alive; they were just decoys that resembled human beings to help discourage the birds from feeding on the crops. In that sense, they were only objects of baseless fear.

The excuses people use in their lives are like scarecrows in the fields. They dress them up so they appear to be real; but underneath, they actually have no truth or life in them. People use excuses to cover their faults, to lessen the blame for an offense they have committed or to justify their shortcomings.

A person who makes excuses has something to hide. They may be a liar, live a double standard, or be just plain lazy. Such people may appear one way when they are out in public; but when they think no one is looking, they are surrounded by scarecrows—worthless excuses.

Today, you can find so many people and even Christians setting up scarecrows of all kinds. They will go to great lengths to make their excuses seem so real that they may actually believe them themselves and deceive their own hearts; but when those scarecrows are undressed, you will find no true reasons behind them.

Children of God who make excuses limit God in their lives, and excuses have been one of the biggest problems for God’s people. Excuses are the reason why Jesus said, For many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14). In this last hour, God will accept no excuses; and He wants us all to know that the penalty will be very severe for those who make them, so you must get all of your excuses out of the way. Jesus said, Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it (Matthew 7:14). No one can get through the gates of Glory with even one scarecrow.

Excuses or Reasons?

Most people make allowances for what they want but not what God wants. They put great effort into erecting beautiful scarecrows, but they are still excuses and not reasons. The Lord said, Come now, and let us reason [not make excuses] together (Isaiah 1:18). You must learn to reason with God, and He knows whether or not you have a legitimate reason or just an excuse. The sad part is that most people have more scarecrows than reasons.

Jesus gave an account about excuses when He was at the house of one of the chief Pharisees. Then said he [Jesus] unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade [invited] many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused (Luke 14:16-18). The man had already bought the ground, so he could have waited to go and see it. He was just making an excuse to cover up for not doing his duty.

And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused (Luke 14:19). That man also had already bought the oxen, so that was another excuse.

And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come (Luke 14:20). Any new bride would have loved to go to a great supper, so that man actually made a scarecrow out of his new wife.

All three of those men were making excuses for their unwillingness to do as they were bidden, and many people are like that today. The Bible says, Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit [excuses]? there is more hope of a fool than of him (Proverbs 26:12). The Lord is warning us that excuses can easily sweep people out of the family of God. Thus saith the Lord, some of you will get your last warning through this message.

The slothful [lazy] man saith, There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets (Proverbs 26:13). Lazy people don’t want to admit they are lazy, so they will claim there is some serious danger lurking outside if they go out to work; but that is just a ridiculous excuse.

The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth (Proverbs 26:15). How sad to be so lazy that you won’t even raise your own hand to help yourself. The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit [excuses] than seven men that can render a reason (Proverbs 26:16).

Someone once said, “Those who are good at making excuses are seldom good for anything else.” That is such a true statement. People who make scarecrows don’t see themselves as they really are, but nearly everyone else around them does. They don’t realize how many excuses they actually make or how much they are trying to hide.

God Accepts No Excuses

Man began making scarecrows in Eden. One day when God went into the Garden to walk and talk with the man He had made, He couldn’t find him. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat (Genesis 3:9-12).

Adam tried to justify himself by blaming God and the woman He had made for him. Then Eve blamed the serpent. And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat (Genesis 3:13). One excuse led to another.

And unto Adam he [God] said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life (Genesis 3:17). Adam and Eve’s excuses did them no good, and God cast them out of the perfect Garden He had made for them.

People will make any excuse to justify missing church or not doing what God wants them to do, but God sees right through them; and He does not accept them. God had given Adam and Eve the truth, and they knew it; and children of God know the truth today, too.

The Lord speaks plainly to us through His Word, so He will not accept our scarecrows. Jesus said, If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin [because they would not have known what sin was]: but now they have no cloak [excuse] for their sin (John 15:22).

Are you making any scarecrows for not doing God’s work or for failing to be in the place He has called you to? Some people think they can walk away from their place in the Lord at any time to do what they want to do and then go back to it whenever they are ready. Thus saith the Lord, God will not allow it. You must give account for what you do, or God will move you out of your place.

Have No Golden Calves

Aaron made a scarecrow when Moses asked him why he had created a golden calf for the Israelites. Moses had been up on Mount Sinai with the Lord for forty days and nights; and when he came down and saw what Aaron and the Children of Israel had done, he said to Aaron, What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them? And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief. For they said unto me, Make us gods, which shall go before us: for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. And I said unto them, Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off. So they gave it me: then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this [golden] calf (Exodus 32:21-24).

Aaron actually thought Moses would believe that they simply threw their gold into the fire and out walked a golden calf for them to worship. God did not accept such ridiculous excuses, and the people were sorely punished. And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:) Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’s side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men (Exodus 32:25-28). People will pay for the excuses they make today, too.

Excuses Are Destructive

Take a lesson from King Saul when the Lord told him through the prophet Samuel to destroy the Amalekites. Thus saith the LORD of hosts…go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. But Saul and the people spared Agag [the king], and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly (I Samuel 15:2,3,9).

King Saul wanted to do things his own way, so he made what he thought was a good scarecrow; and he tried hard to convince Samuel to believe it. Saul explained to Samuel, The people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed (I Samuel 15:15).

Samuel listened; but when he peeled away the outer garments of that scarecrow, there was nothing to it. Samuel said, Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD? And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and have gone the way which the LORD sent me (I Samuel 15:19,20). You have to be careful when you make scarecrows because you just might end up believing them. Saying you have obeyed the Lord when you have actually failed Him will cause you to be damned for eternity.

Then Samuel went on to say, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being king (I Samuel 15:22,23). Not only was Saul rejected from being king, he also lost his salvation.

God’s work must come first no matter what you think you have to or want to do. My wife, Angel, and I were called to build this great work of God, and we never made excuses for anything. We were sent of God, and we knew it. You too must know your calling from God and follow it. Again I say, Heaven never accepts scarecrows.

Don’t Go Your Own Way

People have set up so many scarecrows before God. Even God’s own people make excuses for not praying, fasting and spending time with the Word. They try to excuse themselves for not doing God’s whole will and for being more dedicated to self than they are to Him.

This is a serious hour, and you must do the whole will of God; or you will be in trouble. The Lord is definitely coming in our day, so the devil is doing all he can to deceive as many people as possible. He is very patient, and he will try to sneak into your life a little at a time; so you must beware.

When you are full of excuses, God will back away because He knows there is no reason to give you any more of His power when you have already made scarecrows to cover up your lack of service to Him. God has done nothing but love you and care for you, but what have you done for Him in return? If you are not doing your part, you may one day just walk off and leave Him.

Being aware of scarecrows will keep you on guard for them and even enable you to quickly recognize any excuse you are thinking of making before you make it. If you have used them in the past, then you have not been blessed 100 percent by the Lord because you have hindered Him from working for you.

When you won’t go God’s way, your heart is not right. You may deceive yourself and think you are getting by, but the devil is just fooling you into thinking you have a real reason for your choices when you don’t. Some people think they are putting God first when they are not, and then they can’t understand why God does not bless them like He does others. The reason is that they are living the life of a scarecrow—they look good on the outside but not on the inside.

God won’t beg you to work for Him or do His will in this final hour. If you have a scarecrow spirit when He calls you to do something, He will let you go your own way. Then you will just stay in one spot with your arms flapping in the wind, and God will lift His blessings from you.

No Lazy Servants Accepted

If you don’t stop making excuses, God will take your talents and give them to someone else. When Jesus was here, He told a story of that very thing. For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money (Matthew 25:14-18). Which of these servants would you have been?

After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord (Matthew 25:19-23). Would you have pleased God and let Him increase your talents?

Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine (Matthew 25:24,25).

That man’s master was angry and called him a wicked and slothful servant. Then he said, Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath (Matthew 25:28,29). That should be a warning to us all that one day soon, the Lord is going to rise up in the lives of all people.

Never Look Away

In Lot’s day, Sodom and Gomorrah were wicked cities; and God sent angels to give Lot and his family an opportunity to escape before He destroyed those cities. And it came to pass, when they [the angels] had brought them [Lot and his family] forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven; And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground (Genesis 19:17,24,25).

Lot’s wife had been making excuses for what was going on in those cities for a long time; and when the angel was leading her out, she looked back. But his [Lot’s] wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26). She made one final excuse that cost her life.

I’m sure people thought it was awful that Lot’s wife had been turned into a pillar of salt; but if they could have heard her screaming in hell, they would have known how bad off she really was. Going to hell is the worst thing that can happen to a person.

Lot’s wife was full of sin and self; and when you have too much of self, it will cause you to create all kinds of scarecrows in your life. The Bride of Christ will erect nothing but truth and the realities of God. She will make no excuses, and there will be no reason for her to do anything that God does not want her to.

People everywhere are putting on garments of self-righteousness and making excuses, but the Bible compares self-righteousness to filthy rags. But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). It is terrible to stink before God when Jesus gave His life so we could be redeemed. God sees right through those with no true life in them.

There was a time when God winked at ignorance, but people have no excuse for being ignorant anymore. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30). All ignorance and self-righteousness must go, and you must examine yourself before God every day. Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates (II Corinthians 13:5)?

At the close of each day, I want to know that I have pleased God in every little thing; and I want to make sure I have done all I possibly can for Him. If you will do that, then God will look out for you.

Do You Hinder God?

Gideon was a true child of God, and the Lord called him to lead the Israelite army to battle. Gideon gathered 32,000 soldiers, and he thought for sure he was ready to win the battle; but then the Lord spoke to him and said, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. Now therefore go to, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from mount Gilead. And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand; and there remained ten thousand (Judges 7:2,3).

The twenty-two thousand soldiers who returned home were afraid and hiding behind their scarecrows, and those things hinder God. The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe (Proverbs 29:25).

I’m sure having all those men leave was almost enough to make Gideon faint; but then the Lord spoke again and said, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there...So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Everyone that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink. And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water (Judges 7:4-6).

God did not accept those 9700 men because they had their eyes on themselves and on what they were doing at the moment. God wanted them to be watchful and alert, and that is what He wants His people to be today, too. Jesus said, Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41).

Gideon was left with just 300 men, but they had been chosen of God; so the Lord was ready to bring them victory. And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place (Judges 7:7). And God did give Gideon’s army victory over the Midianites.

God can use a relatively few number of people who have no scarecrows better than He can use multitudes who are full of excuses. God is going to use the dedicated and consecrated few again and again in this last hour to shake the whole world one last time before the end comes; but if you continue to make excuses, God will move on and leave you in the same way He left the soldiers He sent home in Gideon’s day. That will be so sad when He wanted to use you.

Do Not Deceive Yourself

God has done all He can to make Himself real to people, but many don’t want His reality; so they make such realistic scarecrows for themselves that they believe them more than God’s reality. They believe their will is the will of God, and they turn the truth of God into a lie; but they are still without excuse. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20).

Everything God has made is good; and He intends for all of His children to use those things, not cover them up with excuses. If you want to be accepted by God, you have to see yourself as God sees you; and you may have to fast to be able to do that. Then if you ever start to make an excuse, repent at once.

Some people will make excuses until the day they die, but God won’t accept one of them. Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations [and in making excuses], and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise [and believing their own excuses], they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen (Romans 1:21-23,25).

When you make excuses, you are on your way to failing. You would be better off telling God the truth—that you don’t want to do His will—rather than making excuses. At least then there is still a chance that the Holy Spirit will be able to deal with you and show you how far out of line you really are before it is too late.

Unfortunately, many who are full of excuses have already failed and are on their way to hell; and surely, you don’t want to join them. It will be awful to come to the end of your days, and all you can do is offer God an excuse as to why you failed Him; but no excuse will be accepted. Excuses just push God away from you.

Have Nothing That Hinders God

In the book of Revelation, Jesus dictated letters to John the Revelator for the seven churches at that time. Most of them spent more time making excuses than they did listening to what the Spirit was saying; and that is why He said to all seven churches, He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith (Revelation 2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22). We all must listen to the Holy Ghost because He was sent to be our guide and our teacher in this life.

Jesus told the church at Ephesus that they had left their first love. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love (Revelation 2:4).

He had a few things against the church at Pergamos because the people had allowed false doctrine to creep in. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate (Revelation 2:14,15).

Still today, all kinds of man-made doctrines are being created that are as empty and lifeless as scarecrows, and God hates them. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men (Matthew 15:9). When you are involved in something God hates, He can drop you into hell at any time.

Shun False Religions and Lukewarmness

The church at Thyatira had allowed dangerous, seducing spirits to work in the midst of the people. Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds (Revelation 2:20-22).

Many preachers today have those same seducing spirits working in them. Now the [Holy] Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times [and that time is now] some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron (I Timothy 4:1,2). When an iron is too hot, it can burn the material being pressed and ruin it forever. When your conscience is seared, you have no spiritual life left; and you will be doomed for eternity because God can no longer deal with your conscience.

The church at Sardis had works that were not perfect before God. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee (Revelation 3:2,3).

The church at Laodicea tolerated lukewarmness, and the people were full of compromise. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked (Revelation 3:15-17).

Only Christians can be in the mouth of God; but if you become a lukewarm Christian, God will spew you out. God hates lukewarmness, and people who are in that condition will not go when Jesus comes. They will remain on Earth to face the horrible Tribulation Period.

Scarecrows Can’t Stand before God

Those who die believing in their scarecrows will have to face reality at the White Throne Judgment. That is the judgment of the wicked dead, and God will judge the works of all those who appear there. That will be the final judgment, and God will not accept one excuse.

The Lord showed John the Revelator that judgment to come. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works (Revelation 20:12,13).

God has given people everything they need to go from Earth to Heaven, but it is up to them whether or not they accept those things. If they choose to reject God and His truth, hell will be their destiny. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death [the last death]. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire [forever] (Revelation 20:14,15).

Many people try to excuse themselves for the way they have treated God and for not walking close to Him by saying, “No one is perfect; everyone sins,” or “Just do the best you can, and God will understand.” But God won’t understand.

Some have made the excuse that they don’t believe in God, but that doesn’t mean He does not exist. The Bible says, God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar (Romans 3:4).

In the end, all scarecrows will be burned up; and all people will be without excuse. God will never again care for those who refuse to give up their scarecrows. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth [of God] in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18).

Are You Without Excuse?

To be righteous is to live free from all sin. So many people say that nobody can live free from sin; but when someone says that, you know that person is sinning. He is trying to make himself a side door to Heaven, but it won’t work. The Bible says, The soul that sinneth, it shall die (Ezekiel 18:20).

When people come to God, He takes away all their excuses and sin; and He makes them new creatures in Christ. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new (II Corinthians 5:17).

If you are a new creature, God gives you His promises; and there is a promise for anything you will ever need, so you must use them instead of making excuses. However, every promise has a condition; so you cannot claim any of the promises of God without first meeting their conditions.

When you are born new, you become a son or daughter of God; and you no longer have to hide behind scarecrows. But as many as received him [Jesus], to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name (John 1:12). God makes you a fit subject for Heaven through the divine blood that Jesus brought, and through Jesus is the only way to Heaven. He said, I am the [only] door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture (John 10:9). He also said, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6).

What will you present to God when He rises up in the end? Will it be your scarecrows, or will you have actual reasons for all the things you have done? Job asked himself, What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him (Job 31:14)? All Job could say was, Behold, I am vile (Job 40:4). Job was a righteous man, but he felt so small compared to the great and mighty God.

Be Willing to Go God’s Way

Those who make excuses do not have the proper fear of God or desire His will for their lives, or they would not be erecting such lifeless scarecrows. People may talk as if they are going to do the whole will of God, but other things soon become more important than following Jesus wherever He leads.

Jesus must be the most important part of your life, but that takes dedication and determination. Jesus knew that, and He explained that to His disciples when He was here. And it came to pass, that, as they [Jesus and His disciples] went in the way, a certain man said unto him, Lord, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. And he said unto another, Follow me. But he said, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God. And another also said, Lord, I will follow thee; but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house. And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:57-62).

There is nothing wrong with burying a loved one or saying goodbye to those you love, but you can’t use those things as excuses to get out of doing what God wants you to at the time. There are Christians who will make elaborate excuses so they can do what they want to do and still make others think they are close to God.

Are you really doing God’s will and walking in step with Jesus? If so, then you are living by faith. For we walk by faith, not by sight (II Corinthians 5:7). Without that faith, you cannot even please God. But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him (Hebrews 11:6).

Never Question God’s Plan

Some people erect scarecrows to cover their human inabilities and weaknesses; but you don’t need to do that because when God calls you to do something, He will enable you to do it. Read what He told the prophet Jeremiah: Then the word of the LORD came unto me [Jeremiah], saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations (Jeremiah 1:4,5).

Jeremiah was so humble; and he said, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth (Jeremiah 1:6-9).

Will you answer the call of God and let Him anoint you and put words in your mouth? Perhaps you will tell God that you are too young, too weak, too tongue-tied, too poor or whatever else you can think of; but those are all excuses.

Moses tried to give God an excuse at the burning bush, but it didn’t work. And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say (Exodus 4:10-12).

But Moses would not accept that; And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people (Exodus 4:13-16).

If Moses had trusted the Lord and allowed Him to anoint his mouth, he would not have needed to take Aaron and Miriam with him; and he would not have had to deal with all the trouble they caused.

Move When God Calls

God’s call to you must always come first, and no excuses will ever change that. The ten spies of the Children of Israel made excuses for not wanting to go in and possess the land of Canaan that God had said would be theirs. They said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight (Numbers 13:31-33).

That bad report caused the people to cry, murmur and complain before Moses; and God was angry. He said to Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them (Numbers 14:11)?

When God tells you to do something, you must do it at that time, not later; but when you don’t want to do that, you will make excuses and set your own time. That is what the Israelites did in Haggai’s day when the Lord said it was time to build His house. Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, This people say, The time is not come, the time that the LORD’s house should be built. Then came the word of the LORD by Haggai the prophet, saying, Is it time for you, O ye, to dwell in your ceiled houses, and this house lie waste? Now therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts; Consider your ways (Haggai 1:2-5). God threw out their excuses.

Erecting scarecrows has consequences, and God will righteously judge every excuse. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things. Who will render to every man according to his deeds (Romans 2:2,6). Every excuse maker will have to bear their own judgment; no one else can do it for them.

Israel thought they could change God’s Word and prolong His judgments through excuses, but it didn’t happen. God said through the prophet Ezekiel, Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth? Tell them therefore, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but say unto them, The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision. For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more prolonged: for in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word, and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD (Ezekiel 12:22-25).

Tribulation Will Come

Many people make scarecrows so they can stop working for God and feel justified, but watch out because making excuses is the same as lying. They hinder those who make them, but they will never stop God from doing what He says He will.

No scarecrow will stop the great Tribulation that awaits those who are left behind when Jesus comes for the Bride. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened (Matthew 24:21,22).

When the seven seals are opened during the Tribulation Period, God’s judgments will begin; and no excuse will stop them. And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him [the Antichrist] had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer (Revelation 6:1,2). The Antichrist will have power, but it will be Satan’s power.

And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword (Revelation 6:3,4). This rider is also the Antichrist. He will have various powers that will be manifested at different times during the Tribulation Period.

And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances [scales] in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine (Revelation 6:5,6). The black horse represents great famine. A measure of wheat is hardly anything; it will barely make one loaf of bread.

And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth (Revelation 6:7,8). Because of the great famine, the pale horse will bring starvation and death.

The Last Three Seals

And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held [Some will stay true to God and not bow to the Antichrist.]: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled (Revelation 6:9-11). If you miss the Rapture, your life will be filled with unimaginable horror.

And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand (Revelation 6:12-17)? People will be so tormented that they will beg to die, and they will deserve it for the way they treated Jesus and His Gospel truth.

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel’s hand. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound (Revelation 8:1-6). The opening of the seventh seal will signal the start of the horrible trumpet judgments.

The End Is Very Near

No scarecrow will stop the souls of those who take the Mark of the Beast from being doomed for eternity. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name [666] (Revelation 13:16,17). That is the mark of the devil, and it will send a person to hell forever.

No scarecrow will stop the worst battle the world has ever seen—the Battle of Armageddon. Russia will start that battle when she goes down on Israel. And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog [Russia] shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground (Ezekiel 38:18-20). All the big cities of the world will be destroyed.

And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man’s sword shall be against his brother (Ezekiel 38:21). Suddenly, all the soldiers will begin killing each other rather than the Israelite people.

And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone (Ezekiel 38:22).

All but one sixth of the Russian army will be destroyed. And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand (Ezekiel 39:2,3). Ezekiel received this from God thousands of years ago; and now, it is almost time for it all to come to pass. The nations are getting ready for it.

God is going to make good on every prophecy He has ever given. Thank the Lord that true children of God will be in Heaven. If you are ready to meet Jesus in the air, then your heart must cry for all those who are not; and you must do all you can to get them ready.

If you are making excuses, then you need to get rid of every one of them. Say with me now, “I won’t make or use any more excuses. I will do what God wants me to do, and His desires will come before anything else. I will be ready when Jesus comes.”

God Wants Your Heart

Not everyone who claims to be of God really is, and Jesus knew that. He said, Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven (Matthew 7:21). Are you a child of God in word only, or are you truly born again?

If you are not ready to meet your Lord, you need to stop making excuses and get right with God today. This could be your last call, so cry out to God until you know that you are really saved. Pray this prayer right now: Oh, God, save my soul. I want to be delivered, and I want to be free. I am so sorry that I failed and sinned against you, but I have come home; and I am going to serve you and please you the rest of my days on this Earth. Come into my heart, Jesus! Come on in!

If you meant that prayer, you can say, “Hallelujah, Jesus has come! Hallelujah, Jesus is mine!” It is something to get excited about when you are born new!

God Wants to Heal You

If you need a miracle, it is healing time. We serve a wonderful God; so only believe, and your search for a miracle will end victoriously! Lord, I bring the people to you in the all-powerful, blood name of Jesus. Heal! Heal! I curse the AIDS, the HIV virus, diabetes, cancer, heart trouble, deafness, blindness, paralysis, leprosy and any other diseases they might have. Lord, your Word tells us that you heal all diseases and deformities. Heal the little babies who were born with just part of a brain. Heal those whom the doctors have said will never walk. You have done it again and again, and many are walking today. Lord, heal and deliver in the blood name of Jesus! Amen.

I pray that all of your excuses will now be a thing of the past and that you will move forward with the Holy Spirit as your guide. What a great reunion it will be when we meet in our heavenly home! God bless you today.