The Day of the Lord? - Part 120

In reality, the Lord has already come for when we ask Jesus to come into our heart, and we worship Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, He dwells within us. Moreover, Jesus said that He would not leave His followers comfortless. As the scriptures point out, Jesus said "I will come to you!"

Indeed, Jesus said, "If ye love me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it sees Him not, neither knows Him: but ye know Him; for He dwells with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world sees Me no more; but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you." (John 14:15-20)
Further, the scriptures declare that all those who have by faith come to believe upon Jesus, are now a new creation of God. While admittedly, each believer may externally look the same as they did prior to their expressed faith in Jesus, on the inside they have been changed. Or, as the scriptures refer to the salvation experience - believers have been reborn and their minds renewed. They were not strapped to an operating table whilst someone rearranged their inners. Oh no. The inward change that occurs is a direct result of the promise of Jesus - that He would not leave believers comfortless. He will come to you.

In that moment, when people ask Jesus into their life, they are born again, or phrased another way, born of God. All of this internal change occurs in a moment of time. In fact, in a second of time even though in God's view, that is still too long. This may explain why the scriptures use the language "in the twinkling of an eye."

The most important message for us is that heaven is just a prayer away. Similarly, we need to recognize that God has stated, that even before we call, He will answer. Nothing separates a believer from the love of God that can be found only in Jesus. Because the Spirit of God who fills the heavens and the earth is no longer on the outside. He is the same Spirit that was in the man Jesus. And it is the same Jesus who has taken up residence within the heart of believers.

Still, in terms of the original point of this post - the day of the Lord will come upon us. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise to come again. There will be a second coming of God. In this context, and apart from a personal experience of rebirth, there is no redemption available to mankind after the second coming.

The lyrics from the O'Jays song "Love Train" pretty well says it all. Please do not miss this train at the station, for if you miss it I will be sorry, yes, sorry for you. Don’t you know that it is time to get on board for this love train bearing the message of God is travelling on through. If you haven't reached out to Jesus, this would be the most opportune time.

On a different note, there are those who repeatedly question why anyone should have the right to hear this message twice when some have never heard the gospel message once. There is a parable in the New Testament that refers to this. Recall the ten virgins, of whom five are categorized as being wise and the other five foolish?

The latter group all slumbered and slept, having become recipients of mans' foolish wisdom, and having swallowed satan’s bait -- hook, line and sinker. Thus, instead of preparing for the coming of their King, they believed that nothing had changed within the world. Everything would continue to be the same, even though all around them, people are becoming alarmed at the surrounding chaos. In fact, Jesus said men's hearts would fail them for fear.

As a consequence of this worldly blindness that prevents these from seeing the truth, their collective belief in God has dissipated to the place that their lamps of belief had virtually gone out. The parable speaks of a certain time when a voice was heard declaring, "Behold, the bridegroom is coming."

The ten upon hearing this news arose and began to trim their lamps of belief. Unfortunately, the five foolish virgins recognized that they had no oil in their lamps (the oil symbolic of the Spirit of God).  They hastily went to purchase oil. Upon their return to where the five wise virgins had been they were confronted with the fact that indeed the bridegroom had returned and they had missed the train.

This parable leads us to the all important question. With which group do you want to be found among the ten when we hear the news, "Behold, the bridegroom come." Would you not want to be ready to meet Him? Like the five wise virgins?

Christ in you now bringing to believers the promised hope of the glory of eternal life. The message is simple. Only Jesus saves. He alone has the words of eternal life. This is why Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by Me."

Please do not miss this message of the all important second coming of the Lord Jesus the Christ. It's your call - accept His invitation. Come to the Lord Jesus today! Stand in the offering plate.