THE NEXT EVENT
The next event is about to take place. It will happen unexpectedly and will shake the whole world. It is the coming of the Lord. The world and many ‘believers’ will be taken unawares. We are at the stage of complacency, lukewarmness and outright coldness. Christians are no longer waiting for the Lord’s return. We are no longer expecting Him like we did before. Maybe we’ve waited too long and so we are no longer sure of that promise. Or has the Lord forgotten that He promised to come back? No, He can’t forget His promise. We are the ones that have forgotten the promise. At the moment, we are consumed with earthly desires, ambitions and cares of this world that would soon pass away. We have forgotten that Jesus promised us that He will come back one day. When I was a child, messages on the rapture of the Church, judgment, holiness, Heaven and hell were sang like songs almost every day. But at the moment, these messages are gone. They have been replaced with poor alternatives. We now have messages that focus only on the earth and on earthly things; messages that make it seem like our lives end here. These substitute messages are presented like there is no Heaven, hell or eternity.
The Lord has delayed in coming, just as the Scriptures say He would. It’s been a long time we heard that He will be back again; some right from childhood days. But because the promise is yet to be fulfilled, we are about to miss it. We are no longer watching, praying and waiting. Some have started doubting the promise while some even crack jokes with the coming of the Lord and make mockery of it. We forget that no promise of God has ever fallen to the ground. Neither would His Word. There may be delays but God’s Word can never be broken. His Word must come to pass.
Many prophecies in the Scriptures took hundreds of years and some decades before they were fulfilled. But at the end they came to pass. Some are still being fulfilled right before our eyes. The prophecy of the first coming of the Lord took hundreds of years before it was fulfilled. The children of Israel sojourned in a strange land 430 years instead of 400 years. Samuel tarried longer than he was supposed to before going to meet Saul for sacrifice. When Saul was converted on his way to Damascus, Jesus told him to enter the city and he would be told what to do. The instruction came as if someone was already waiting to attend to him immediately. But Saul had to wait for three days before someone came to him. The ten virgins waited for the groom. He delayed in coming. He didn’t come when he was expected. But that didn’t stop him from coming. God promised Abraham that He would bless him with a child. It took many years before that promise was fulfilled. This had been the pattern of our God. If He would delay in issues of less consequence, how much more in the final event of life which will usher in judgment, the end of age and eternity. God will surely delay so that He would recover as many as possible, His children whom the enemy took from Him. But one day, He would no longer delay, and the prophecy would be fulfilled and sealed.
For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry. Habakkuk 2:3
The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
The Church is in a spiritual slumber right now. The Church that should be expecting the Lord has fallen asleep and is no longer watching and praying. But unfortunately, she is awake to the pleasures of this world. There is no difference between her and the world. We are living like we have no Groom coming back for us. We have taken our focus off Heaven and placed it strictly on the earth and on things of it. Our focus is now on living a ‘good life’ on earth and on what God would give us so that we can enjoy that ‘good life’ here. It is good to desire a good life, but such desire should never take away our vision and goal of Heaven which should come first. Jesus said it doesn’t profit anyone to gain the world and lose his soul. We don’t need to abandon Heaven because of earthly things that we will leave behind after life here. In Matthew 6:33, God says He will take care of us if we sincerely seek Him. We don’t need to remind Him. He knows what to do. But we must seek Him and His Kingdom first.
Our spiritual leaders have not helped. They have also forgotten about the Lord’s promise themselves. Their messages that revolve on prosperity and blessings, with no reminder of the return of the Lord have deceived us. They no longer preach on the coming of the Lord on our pulpits. They’ve pushed that aside and substituted it with teachings that have no eternal contents. They tell us what we want to hear and not what the Lord wants us to hear. They preach to keep us in their congregation and not to keep us in Heaven after life here. They teach us like life on earth is all that there is. They rarely mention the rapture, and even when they do, they do so passively- making it look like the least thing in the Kingdom. Yet, the coming of the Lord is a core issue in the Christian faith. Nothing is as important as it is right now. It is the bone of Christianity and the hope of our faith. The saints of old didn’t forget that at all. They constantly reminded the Church that the Lord is coming back to take them home. It didn’t matter how many times they needed to say it and how long they needed to wait. It didn’t matter if some of them slept the sleep of death while waiting. Paul said:
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18
Whether we are ready or not, Jesus is coming back. Whether we believe it or not, one day He will appear in the sky. Even if we’ve forgotten the promise are tired of waiting, one day it will be fulfilled. Some of our loved ones may have waited and died without seeing it happen. Some of us may still sleep the sleep of death before it happens. We don’t know. But whatever the case, nothing will stop the Lord from keeping His promise. And when the rapture takes place, the dead in Christ will rise from their graves and be caught up in the sky, alongside the living.
We can’t claim to be waiting for His return if we’re not. There’s a difference between one that is expecting the Lord and the one that is not. Many of us are not expecting the Lord and the proof is our lives. We can’t be expecting the Lord when our lives don’t conform to His Word. We can’t be expecting Him and still be living in sin. We have to go back in contrition and seek His face. It’s time we get it right again, so that we can sincerely be ready and waiting for His return.
It will no longer be long. The prophecies that would precede His coming have been fulfilled. It is about time. Like in the days of Noah, something is about to happen. When Noah told the people that they would be a flood, they laughed him to scorn. Noah sounded like a fool to them. A similar but more grievous event is about to happen. If you’re not ready for it, please get ready now that you have the time. Whatever service you’re rendering in the house of the Lord or your position, if your own soul is lost, everything will be a waste. Your service is unacceptable until you secure your soul first. Surrender to the Lord. Let Him wash you with His blood and make you worthy to go with Him when He appears. Then tell your loved ones and the people around you that something is about to take place. Tell them that the King is almost at the door. Let them know it’s about time.
Get ready and stay ready. Live each day expecting the Lord. That’s the only way to catch the flight. Whatever you are doing, always remember that your redeemer is coming. Let your heart be focused on that. Don’t miss it. If you do, you may not be able to handle what will follow after.
If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land of peace, wherein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan? Jeremiah 12:5
And the Lord said, Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers. Luke 12:42-46
It won’t be long and we will be going home. Don’t be left behind. When He appears, there wouldn’t be time to get ready. So get ready now. Get ready and stay ready. Live each day expecting the Lord. Tell others that Jesus is coming back. Watch, wait and pray!
Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away. But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning: Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch. Mark 13:31-37
I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Luke 17:34-36
Posted: October 16, 2017 05:21 pm
Share this post on social media.
Comments
Add your Comment