Absolutely true! God can and does surprise us when we least expect it.
Probably why we are to judge any one as if they will never be saved when at the last minute, they just might call on the Lord to be saved.
I think that the Lord sometimes causes a bit of thunder and lightning by way of warnings to keep us on the straight and narrow. His first warning was to Adam and Eve, and He didn't mince His words:
If you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will DIE!" Who wouldn't be pulled up short by a warning like that? Pity Eve was deceived by the talking snake who told her, "Actually, you won't die. You will become like God, knowing good and evil" causing Eve to doubt God's word.
Actually, Eve was created after Adam was told not to eat from that tree. It was Adam that had told what God had said and yet Adam listened to his wife over God's words for why the commandment is for man to be submissive to God by giving His word in the assembly while the women are not.
Genesis 2:15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
1 Timothy 2:11 Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.12 But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.13 For Adam was first formed, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.
1 Corinthians 14:34 Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience as also saith the law. 35 And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church. 36 What? came the word of God out from you? or came it unto you only? 37 If any man think himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you are the commandments of the Lord.
Which also serves as another line of discernment when testing the spirits; would the Holy Spirit manifest tongues in women in the assembly? No.
It's like when I was still at school, we had the local community traffic officer come and tell us the horror stories of children crossing the road without looking and being squished under the wheels of a bus, and children riding their bikes across intersections without looking and having every bone in their bodies broken as the result by being hit by a car.
Or the Smoke Free team who came to school and showed us exhibits of diseased lungs taken out of life-long smokers to show the damage that smoking does to people. Or when I was in the air force, being shown films to see what happens to a person's genitals as the result of chronic STD.
These are not pleasant warnings and they are there to encourage people to keep safe and to discourage actions that would cause harm. God is no different in his Scriptural warnings to us.
That is true, brother, especially when believers are led to believe otherwise, the truth to His warnings can be found in His words.
John 7:7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
Isaiah 8:19 And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep, and that mutter: should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the dead?
1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness....... 24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; 26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will.
2 Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long suffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
