Sunday, February 06, 2011

The Apocalypse

Matt.24:37-39 - But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.


Dancing while eternity passes. The whole world continues to engage in power and greed and ethnic games as serious as death itself. But all the while, in an unseen continuum, time and eternity march toward an unimaginable climax when the Creator steps out from behind the shadows and reclaims that which has always been rightfully His. He has reached out to His creation, made in His own image, but for the most part His overtures have either been rejected outright or changed in ways that render them useless figments of man’s religious imaginations.
But in the face of rebellion and unmitigated ambivalence, the Father still exercises great and confounding patience. The Scriptures tell us that without the mercies of God we would, and should, all be consumed. This Creator Redeemer is holy. It is beyond our limited comprehensive skills to understand the term “holy”. We so often define it in the negative as being without sin at all and that is surely a weighty component of being holy. But we seem to be ignorant of the positive force of holiness which is within the Godhead and is that which creates and sustains all life and indeed all creation itself. That power is unfathomable to the human mind.
The Father God is a Spirit. We humans, enamored with our own mental prowess, do not even have a definition for a “spirit”. Think about it; what is a spirit? Some liken it to smoke, some think of it as a ghost, but wise men will admit to a complete lack of reference point with which to come forth with an adequate, or even an inadequate, definition. So God is a spirit and we cannot even grasp what that actually means. I hope that pulls the self righteous carpet out from under all of us because only through humility and contrition will God reveal Himself to a human, even in a limited way.
The coming end times visitation by the Creator is a breathtaking event that will be accompanied by a colossal show of divine judgment and force. I realize it is not popular in today’s pop culture evangelicalism to refer to such things, however no one has the right to change the Scriptures as the cultural climate and the religious palate change. The power of positive thinking is a vicious lie, and the “best life now” theology comes straight form the devil’s own deceptive darkness. Millions will one day wake up to find they have been following a deceived liar of which there are many, and in the final analysis they will have lost their souls. Devastating…
The scenario I have outlined doesn’t really do it justice since the reality and experience of what will transpire infinitely dwarfs our poor literary attempts to capture such things. The result will be eternally fatal for many, and eternal life for few. But let us be clear, the offer of redemption is for everyone. And He who will pass judgment is also He who offers Himself as eternal protection. The Great and Terrible Judge is also the Everlasting Redeemer!
For those of us who are already in the blood stained ark, we are in a journey to see and be with Him who has redeemed us and made us His very own. Again, we use such terms and yet we know they are just shadows and not the substance. To see and experience the everlasting Person of the Lord Jesus Christ is an event without comparison. The Apostle John had laid his head upon the chest of the Incarnate Jesus many times, but when he just caught a glimpse of the Risen Christ that same apostle fell at His feet as though dead! All who stand before Christ will be broken, some will fall in broken worship while some will be broken as they are cast away.
The whole world continues to search for significance, wealth, power, and some search for survival. But the script seems to have picked up the pace right before our very eyes. Complacency is a poison, and every new day brings a false sense of comfort and security. Throw a frog into a pot of boiling water and he will immediately jump out. But place a frog in a pot of cold water and slowly heat it to boiling and that frog will die. We get used to startling events one by one and the passing of days soothes our spiritual awareness.
Be not deceived. The stage is set and the curtains are slowly parting. The revelation of Jesus Christ is upon us. The apocalyptic overture is coming to a close, and the King of all Kings awaits the trumpet of His entrance. The world will melt at His presence and many will beg for the gift of death rather than face Him whose very face chases angels. The date setters are fools, but so are the fools who refuse to see the signs of the times. He may come today, or tomorrow. But be assured of one thing, He is coming quickly with a company of angels. And in His hands are judgment and redemption.

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved.

1 comment:

Kirk Boswell said...

Amen pastor. The world sleeps and slumber as it's end draws near.