Wednesday, 2016-09-07

Scripture

Bible Reference: Mark 13:32–33; 36-37

Bible Text: 32 “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. 33 And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert! …. 36 Don’t let him find you sleeping when he arrives without warning. 37 I say to you what I say to everyone: Watch for him!”

Bible Translation: New Living Translation (NLT)

My Take

Our meteorologists are fantastic, for they watch for the storms that spin off the coast of Africa, and should they pose a potential threat to us, they warn us of their predictions on the course of the storm, in lots of time for us to be prepared and protected way before the storm arrives. Similarly, many of us have good pastors and teachers who strive to do the will of God by warning us as often as possible about the coming of the Lord Jesus, to take His bride (the church) up to heaven to spend eternity with He and His Father. Isn’t it interesting how we seem to take the forecasts from our meteorologists a whole lot more seriously than we do our pastors? Walk into any church over the weekend and you will immediately question why so few are concerned about such a major event. Only a fraction of our towns attend church, and for those that do attend, most fall asleep while the warning is being proclaimed. Friends, I just visited the northwest coast of Florida after Tropical Storm Hermine passed through. There are stories of some residents who were just as unconcerned, and didn’t heed the warnings and/or refused to evacuate their homes when instructed. Large tax dollars are now being spent to deliver food to them or retrieve them from their flooded or wind-destroyed homes. Take a moment to compare that to the coming of our Lord. There will be no further warnings, as scriptures tell us that not even the Son (Jesus) knows when He will return, only God does. If you did not heed the warnings to ready yourself to meet Jesus, then you have decided to stick with Satan and receive the eternal damnation he will deliver to his followers. Your pastor will no longer be available to encourage you and prod you along into making a decision to accept Jesus, it will be eternally too late. In these verses today, please recognize that these are the words of Jesus, and PLEASE adhere to the warnings He is offering to you. Seek God’s face, accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior and therefore be ready, should His return happen even today. Don’t ignore the warning friend, today is the day of salvation, for it can also be the day of Jesus’ return to get His saints! I’m ready! Are you?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, You’ve been warning us about Your return long before meteorologists were ever trained, or before the days of computerized tools to help them predict an oncoming storm. It is so unfortunate that many of our people listen more closely to man’s predictions than to Your facts as relayed to us by Your writers. Oh God, may today be the day that many will come to know You personally (ready themselves for Your impending return). If a hurricane was approaching, we would quickly run to shelter and/or save our loved ones and friends. Something a whole lot more final is pending, and could actually happen today, Lord may we have the same urgency to save those we love. I ask these things in the name of my soon coming Lord and Savior, AMEN!

Footnote

If you have been challenged to make a decision today after reading this devotional, please speak with a local Bible Teaching Pastor, or contact me at NuggetsFromGodsWord@outlook.com. Allow someone to pray with you and give you help and/or encouragement as you begin, or continue your walk with Jesus. Words underlined in my blog could indicate a link to a song that came to mind as I wrote the devotional. Feel free to click on the link and listen as you continue to read or pray. If this devotional was forwarded to you and you would like to see more, please go to www.nuggetsfromgodsword.org and read more, or you may freely to subscribe for a daily email conveniently containing each day’s devotional. If you are anywhere near the Highlands County, Florida area and do not have a church home, I would be thrilled to welcome you at Bible Fellowship Church, located at 3750 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872! Click the link to check out service times and/or other special activities. God is at work among us! Please consider coming to worship with us!