Just a matter of days ago, Hurricane Sandy ravaged the East Coast. For many, those two horrific days that the hurricane blew through are not yet over. In fact, they have stretched into nearly a week without power in cold temperatures and with gas in short supply. Many have lost lives and homes and the rebuilding has yet to begin. We have much to pray for and much to give to. For those of you in the area, if you have specific needs or know of specific needs, please let me know. We would be glad to help in any way we can.
In PA, for days, almost a week beforehand, media sources were alight with weather warnings and detailed instructions for how people could prepare for the effects of the hurricane.
During this time, I noticed two primary types of people. (Please note that I am not stating there were ONLY two types of people. There were many specific and tragic situations and I am by no means attempting to minimize those!)
There were the preparers. These were the people that emptied store shelves of water, batteries, flashlights, and bread. They pumped gas into cars, put away all their outdoor furniture, put batteries in their radios, plugged surge protectors into their outlets, moved valuables out of basements, and readied candles and generators. When all was said and done, though they had little idea of exactly when the storm would hit or what it would be like, they were as ready as they could be.
Then there were the scoffers. The people in the news media lounging on their porch right next to the ocean in North Carolina saying, "We've had these warnings before. I'm sure it will come to nothing." The people mocking those who were preparing. The people who refused to evacuate despite repeated warnings. The people who lived the days prior to the hurricane without forethought, carrying on as if all was well while calamity was knocking at their door.
This sitation has led me to ponder something Jesus spoke of often in the New Testament and was also prophesied in the Old- the end times. The days when all that we know will turn to ash and that which cannot be shaken will remain. That day when Jesus will return, not as a broken man but as a victorious king. Friends, I know this is a sobering message, but it is an important one, so please do not ignore it.
There will come a day when Jesus will return to earth. Like hurricane Sandy, he will find some prepared and many ill prepared scoffers. As in the Days of Noah, so will it be upon the day that He returns. The scoffers will meet the deluge of glory completely unprepared and unreconciled to the Lord. They will face a terror unlike anything that has ever been known on this earth as they see the Lord that they have jeered and sneered at return in the fullness of His glory to bring judgment upon the earth. Scoffers of Jesus Christ and His Lordship, you will not escape this judgment unless you repent and turn to Him for your redemption. He is full of grace and mercy and will welcome the repentant into His fold. Please contemplate these things now before it is too late. The Father yearns that you would not choose to be among those who perish but that you would accept His grace and willingly submit to His Lordship. He cares for you and wants your good!
Unfortunately, it will not only be the scoffers who are unprepared to meet the coming Jesus. Many a believer will also be woefully unprepared, having been so sidetracked by the drinking, marrying, laughing and everyday tasks of this life. Many will be asleep. Today, the Lord reminds you of your calling- to know, to watch and to declare.
Here are some snipets of what the word of God has to say about Jesus' return. May they help you know. To read larger sections of Scripture about the end times, Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, Matthew 25 or pretty much the whole of the book of Revelations are great sources.
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“...There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Daniel 12:1
For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. Habbakuk 2:3
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Matthew 24: 36-44
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. Mark 13:3-8
" If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’" Mark 13:36
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21: 25-28
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Now you know. And now you must watch. Just as a sailor or a farmer learns the signs of the sky, we must watch our world in light of the Word of God. We must actively wait for Him- not as people who forget that He is returning but as people who have a very real sense that He will come back at an hour when we least expect it.
Now that you are watching, you yourself must prepare. Are you reconciled with Jesus? Are you walking in day-to-day relationship with Him? Are you hearing the whispers he is speaking to you that he wants you to declare from the rooftops? Do you have sin in your life that you need to confess and repent of?
Once you are working toward preparing, the inevitable question must arise as to how you can sound the alarm and help others to prepare. When hurricane Sandy was headed toward the east coast, meteorologists utilized their knowledge and took up their responsibility to warn all those in her path. They sounded the alarm on every radio and every weather forecast.
We as Christians are aware of something even more serious than Hurricane Sandy (which, if you have seen the photos, should tell us the depth of the gravity of that knowledge!) and yet we are more timid in sounding the alarm, afraid of what scoffers may think about us.
The Lord calls out to me and other believers today. KNOW. WATCH. PREPARE. SOUND THE ALARM. WAKE UP from your slumber. Though we do not know the day or the hour, we know the day is near. Do not be distracted. Know your mission. Be a faithful manager of the Lord's household who is ready to welcome him whether he arrives in broad daylight or in the third watch of the night. Hear today what Noah heard- the call to prepare.
Ignore the scoffing and let the message of redemption reverberate from every part of your being.
Tell the world that Jesus is the light of the world, the bread of life, and the fountain that never runs dry. Because, well, you can buy water, batteries, and bread to prepare for a hurricane, but you cannot buy anything from this world that will prepare you for the day of His return.
In PA, for days, almost a week beforehand, media sources were alight with weather warnings and detailed instructions for how people could prepare for the effects of the hurricane.
During this time, I noticed two primary types of people. (Please note that I am not stating there were ONLY two types of people. There were many specific and tragic situations and I am by no means attempting to minimize those!)
There were the preparers. These were the people that emptied store shelves of water, batteries, flashlights, and bread. They pumped gas into cars, put away all their outdoor furniture, put batteries in their radios, plugged surge protectors into their outlets, moved valuables out of basements, and readied candles and generators. When all was said and done, though they had little idea of exactly when the storm would hit or what it would be like, they were as ready as they could be.
Then there were the scoffers. The people in the news media lounging on their porch right next to the ocean in North Carolina saying, "We've had these warnings before. I'm sure it will come to nothing." The people mocking those who were preparing. The people who refused to evacuate despite repeated warnings. The people who lived the days prior to the hurricane without forethought, carrying on as if all was well while calamity was knocking at their door.
This sitation has led me to ponder something Jesus spoke of often in the New Testament and was also prophesied in the Old- the end times. The days when all that we know will turn to ash and that which cannot be shaken will remain. That day when Jesus will return, not as a broken man but as a victorious king. Friends, I know this is a sobering message, but it is an important one, so please do not ignore it.
There will come a day when Jesus will return to earth. Like hurricane Sandy, he will find some prepared and many ill prepared scoffers. As in the Days of Noah, so will it be upon the day that He returns. The scoffers will meet the deluge of glory completely unprepared and unreconciled to the Lord. They will face a terror unlike anything that has ever been known on this earth as they see the Lord that they have jeered and sneered at return in the fullness of His glory to bring judgment upon the earth. Scoffers of Jesus Christ and His Lordship, you will not escape this judgment unless you repent and turn to Him for your redemption. He is full of grace and mercy and will welcome the repentant into His fold. Please contemplate these things now before it is too late. The Father yearns that you would not choose to be among those who perish but that you would accept His grace and willingly submit to His Lordship. He cares for you and wants your good!
Unfortunately, it will not only be the scoffers who are unprepared to meet the coming Jesus. Many a believer will also be woefully unprepared, having been so sidetracked by the drinking, marrying, laughing and everyday tasks of this life. Many will be asleep. Today, the Lord reminds you of your calling- to know, to watch and to declare.
Here are some snipets of what the word of God has to say about Jesus' return. May they help you know. To read larger sections of Scripture about the end times, Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, Matthew 25 or pretty much the whole of the book of Revelations are great sources.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“...There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. Daniel 12:1
For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. Habbakuk 2:3
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. Matthew 24: 36-44
As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?” Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains. Mark 13:3-8
" If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’" Mark 13:36
“There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Luke 21: 25-28
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now you know. And now you must watch. Just as a sailor or a farmer learns the signs of the sky, we must watch our world in light of the Word of God. We must actively wait for Him- not as people who forget that He is returning but as people who have a very real sense that He will come back at an hour when we least expect it.
Now that you are watching, you yourself must prepare. Are you reconciled with Jesus? Are you walking in day-to-day relationship with Him? Are you hearing the whispers he is speaking to you that he wants you to declare from the rooftops? Do you have sin in your life that you need to confess and repent of?
Once you are working toward preparing, the inevitable question must arise as to how you can sound the alarm and help others to prepare. When hurricane Sandy was headed toward the east coast, meteorologists utilized their knowledge and took up their responsibility to warn all those in her path. They sounded the alarm on every radio and every weather forecast.
We as Christians are aware of something even more serious than Hurricane Sandy (which, if you have seen the photos, should tell us the depth of the gravity of that knowledge!) and yet we are more timid in sounding the alarm, afraid of what scoffers may think about us.
The Lord calls out to me and other believers today. KNOW. WATCH. PREPARE. SOUND THE ALARM. WAKE UP from your slumber. Though we do not know the day or the hour, we know the day is near. Do not be distracted. Know your mission. Be a faithful manager of the Lord's household who is ready to welcome him whether he arrives in broad daylight or in the third watch of the night. Hear today what Noah heard- the call to prepare.
Ignore the scoffing and let the message of redemption reverberate from every part of your being.
Tell the world that Jesus is the light of the world, the bread of life, and the fountain that never runs dry. Because, well, you can buy water, batteries, and bread to prepare for a hurricane, but you cannot buy anything from this world that will prepare you for the day of His return.
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