22/05/11

Are you ready for Jesus' second coming

Luke 8:40 - And it came to pass, that, when Jesus was returned, the people gladly received him: for they were all waiting for him.


Many people are talking of end of the world, some even gave the date as 21st May and spend more than 100million dollars to make hoardings and announce this end. At the end the only persons happy out of all this is the hoarding guys who made money.

I would not to talk of their foolishness of coming to conclusion of this date, but the Lord wants us to reflect had this day really been the end, then were you and I prepared to meet Jesus with gladness.

In today's message the people received Jesus gladly for they were prepared and were waiting for Him. We need to ask ourselves are we?

Before we answer this question we need to understand what Jesus is coming for. We should be aware that one of the purposes for which Jesus is coming for is to judge the people.

There is a wrong notion among Christians that all those who believe in Him will go to Heaven. In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus goes to the extend to warn, leave alone those who believe in Him but even those who heal or do miracles in His Name or even preach and make others Christians are not assured entry into Heaven.

I too had not taken this matter very seriously until I realized if a judge had to judge he had to have a basis on which he would judge. Any true judge would not judge a person under any circumstances unless that person is aware or given the basis under which that person would be judged.

For example if you go to a private garden and pluck a flower and the gardener catches you and shouts or penalizes you, you would not get very upset for you are aware it was not right to puck flowers from any other person's garden. But if you were in a forest or woods and you plucked a flower, imagine if a person came to you and shouted for doing that. I am sure you would not react in the same way as you did with the gardener. You would first ask what his authority was over this forest or woods. Even if he said he was the owner of that land, if he had put a sign board cautioning people about this being private property? Or why he did not put a fence around it? Even if you saw the hoarding or not would not be an argument but even the fact it was prominently displayed would justify his shouting.

In the New Testament we do not see any rules that state the basis on which a person would be judged to the extent of not being allowed to enter Heaven even after believing in Jesus.

Some weeks back I was teaching on this matter at one of my sessions and during which I found in only one place very clear instructions (if understood well) been given which state even if a person is a believer yet if they break the said rules they would be cut out from entering Heaven and this is in the books of Moses.

People are of the notion after the coming of Jesus the Law given through Jesus is history and we are not under the Law. One interesting scripture opened my mind to understand it well and it was in the Gospels in which the Law of Moses is called the Law of the Lord. But we find Paul and others speak of we being dead to the Law for we are not of the Law but of the Spirit.

What they spoke of was the Jewish law which not the Law of the Lord. The Jews never understood the Law given through Moses. The law of the Jews were laws of the flesh but the Law given through Moses was actually of the Spirit which Jesus understood and followed yet did nothing the Jews did. Although the text seem to instruct to kill or harm in the physical yet Jesus never did for He knew its true meaning.

When I collected all these instruction on which basis one would be ‘cut out from his people’ and when on to study its true meaning, it bought fear into me and the question came, am I ready for Jesus today?

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ I do not want to scare you but want to alert you it is very serious we look at the fact if we are prepared for Jesus' coming. The Bible warns us that out of every 3 believers only 1 would enter Heaven and this is very serious concern. Paul therefore warned in his letter to work towards their salvation with fear and trembling.

Taken there is time for Jesus' second coming but then too if I go to sleep in grave today or tomorrow, I would wake the day He comes to judge and would not get time to undo those areas which are considered serious by the Lord.

Every day in the early morning we should thank God for giving us an opportunity to change. In the evening if we did not make use of it we need to get on our knees and ask for forgiveness of not using that opportunity.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You are a righteous God and all things which You do are Truth and none can speak against or question your actions. You gave is warnings again and again through your messengers but many a times we gave deaf ears to them. Today Lord let it be a day of change for us. Let us understand the seriousness of being your people and representing You as a Christian. Help us keep your Word and be a doer of the Word so that we are gladly ready for Jesus' coming...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scripturesr ]
Matthew 7:21-23
21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Luke 13:23-29
23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them,
24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity.
28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. v 29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.

Luke 2:22-23
22 And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord;
23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)

1 Corinthians 14:20-22
20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
21 In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord.
22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

Luke 24:44
44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

John 7:19
19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

Zechariah 13:8-9
8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

Revelation 12:3-4
3 And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.
4 And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and did cast them to the earth: and the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

Revelation 20:11-15; 21:1
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

John 5:26-30
26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
27 And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.
28 Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice,
29 And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.
30 I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

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