As We See the Day Approaching

This post may sound harsh, although such is not the intent.  In pondering it, I see ever so many areas in my life where increased diligence is a must.  More diligence in drawing closer to the Lord Jesus, more diligence in hiding his word in my heart, and more diligence in reaching out to those outside the household of faith.  The hecticity of life cannot be used as an excuse; especially when issues of such urgency are in play.  This post has been on my heart since last night; actually since reading Phils most recent post during break time last night at work.  Phils post, “A Prophetic Word 2/7/07,” can be read at www.abmi.wordpress.com   

II Peter 3:9-10  “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.  But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall melt away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with a fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

The verses above contain two truths of the utmost importance.

( 1 ) God doesn’t desire for anyone to die in their sins.  He sent his Son Jesus, to die on an old rugged cross, thereby paying for the sins of all with his own blood.  The fact that he would go to such a measure to redeem us from our sins demonstrates his incredible love for us and shows just how much he desires that we know him personally.

( 2 ) There will come a moment in which time will run out; literally.  Eventually, a day will arrive having a most peculiar trait in that there will not be a day following it.  The concept tends to seem ambiguous as all of us have only known the realm of the linear; that being each day is preceeded by a day just like it and is likewise followed by one just like it.  For most, the concept of time no longer never enters their mind. 

 Whenever it seems as though the purveyors of wickedness are prospering in the world you can be certain of two things that are taking place.  (Another list of 2)  First, the contents of the persons heart are manifest by their actions.  A persons words and actions will reveal the contents of their heart, despite the best attempts to conceil the matter.  Second, the mercy of God is at work.  This is because he holds in his hand the very breath of life.  Whenever a contrary individual crosses your path, you can know that it’s of the Lords mercy that they are permitted to continue.  We are to love them, regardless of how wicked they may be, knowing that we are every bit as unworthy of eternal life as they are.  This undoubtedly seems like a telling of the obvious, but it’s nonetheless imperative to keep in mind. 

As longsuffering as God is (and he is merciful beyond our understanding) each person has an allotted time on the earth; a span of days which set a perimeter around the window of grace.  Everyone that we know, saved and unsaved, is one day closer to their last day than they were yesterday.  Second by second, everyones time on the earth is steadily running out.  For those who are born again, the grave has no victory as to be absent from the body is to be forever present with the Lord Jesus.  For those who haven’t received Jesus as Savior, it’s a dangerous game of chance-taking in which the consequences of losing are everlasting.  I write all of this with a desire that we all, “myself very much included,” would be aware of the seriousness of the times.  That those who have never asked Jesus to save them would ponder these things and that every saint would be all the more diligent in seeking the Lords will and reaching out with his words of life.

 As of late, the close proximity of this ages conclusion and the return of Jesus Christ has been really on my heart with increased fervor.  (The return of Jesus is always on my heart as “in this we do groan earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven.  II Corinthians 5:2)  As Phils post makes abundantly clear, the saints are being drawn in closer to the Lord Jesus and halfheartedness will soon have no place of standing.  I don’t want to sound doom and gloomish but the status quo will come to be no longer.  Each of us must thoroughly and continuously examine ourselves to ensure that no weights are tagging along.  Little things like pride, envy, a root of bitterness; things which can take up residence in small quantities without our even being aware of it.  (I feel as though I’m writing a post to myself)  The following passage is both a stern warning to not engage in fence sitting and an exhortation to encourage others who are in Christ.

Hebrews 3:12-13  “Take heed brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.  But exhort one another daily, while it is called To-day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

The deceitfulness of sin.  It’s right in front of us every day.  The worlds reasoning comes into our ears almost continuously at times while images pandering to the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life abound in almost every venue.  It’s big, it’s colorful, flashy and loud.  With all of the bells and whistles, it proclaims to all “see this is new” when it really isn’t new at all.  It’s the same pack of delusions that the devil has been brandishing ever since Eve saw that the fruit on the one tree that was forbidden looked good and would make one wise.  As a result, we must continually submit ourselves to Christ; allowing the Holy Ghost to work in our hearts.  We must strive to daily become more like him and less like us.  This is a daily prayer of mine; that when the day has ended, I’ll be a little bit more Christlike than when I first awakened.   (As long as we’re going forward we wont be going backward)

I Thessalonians 5:14  “Now we exhort you brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men.”

I wanted to quote more, but would have ended up typing the rest of the chapter.  One thing that I get from being here is a lot of encouragement and exhortation.  I know that one day, I will type in a final blog.  I may be well aware that it’s the final blog or the final blog may be typed in nonchalantly with no awareness as to its finality.  Such is true for all bloggers along with the participants of any theater of activity.  Yet while the blogosphere remains and I have the privilage of partaking of it, I look forward to the much exhortation from other saints, the challenges from those who reside in different schools of thought and the continual prodding to “keep on keeping on.”

Jesus is coming!  This is possibly the most quoted phrase in the realm of christianity because it is our blessed hope.  We rejoice with joy unspeakable as we long to be with the one who paid for our sins.  We rejoice always; knowing that we have no less days to sing Gods praise than when we first begun.  I need to close this up.  I really desire to simply encourage all who love the Lord to “keep on keeping on” and to urge any who have never accepted Jesus Christ as Savior to consider doing so.  Truly the Spirit and the bride say, come.

Romans 13:11-12  “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed.  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.”