August 14, 2013
Peace and Safety
During a discussion with friends the conversation turned to our nation’s
deterioration. Because we were all believers our comments echoed past
generations that said God will not put up with us much longer, things can’t get
much worse than they are, and the Lord would be coming soon. One man said, “I think we [America] are worse today than in the days of Sodom
and Gomorrah.” (Gen 18) I have to disagree with my friend. Unlike Sodom, I
feel certain the Lord can find at least 10 righteous people sitting in my
church on a Sunday morning. Paul reminds us that the signal for the Lord’s
return is not the lack of righteous people. “Now,
brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for
you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the
night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction
will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will
not escape.” (1 Thess 5:1-3 NIV)
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1 comment:
Gail;
-----I find it as interesting that some always see the imminence of the Lord’s return in how they feel about the stuff around them as it is interesting that others see everything continuing incessantly because many had seen His return which didn’t happen. It seems to me both have drawn conclusions from that which is not really evidence as much as they have failed to conclude by sound logic. The Lord certainly said, “…for you know neither the day nor the hour,” but He also said it as the reason for why we must, “Watch.” (Mat 25:13) He told us what circumstances and conditions would exist at the time of His coming. And the Holy Spirit revealed to us more evidences through the prophets before Him and His disciples after Him.
-----“Watching” entails looking for the time in which all of the circumstances and conditions are assembled. If any of these evidences would not be a part of the time in which Christ returns, then they would not have been revealed to us as if they were. So the time for which we watch will be a time when every detail that Scripture has said will be there, observable and identifiable. The mistake made by the many who have been previously wrong about seeing His return is that they saw only some prophesied evidence, but failed to recognize the relevance of not having seen it ALL. The mistake made by those saying you can in no way tell the time of His return is their failure to understand the mistake made by those who set dates and failed.
-----That day and hour will certainly come. And it will come in the time wherein are ALL of the circumstances and conditions the Lord and His prophets and disciples described. Not one detail will be missing. So we watch for the time wherein every detail is assembled. It is like that specific day in which it will snow is not marked as such upon the calendar. But you watch for snow when the days have been cold and there are heavy clouds in the air, usually in that time between late Fall and early Spring. The more the conditions assemble, the more you watch. Yet we don’t fail to be slightly aware of such conditions in the Summertime, for it has occasionaley snowed then, too.
-----So, it is a mistake to think the Lord will return merely because social morals have become decadent. It is just one of the conditions prophesied about that time. The rest are as important. And as important as it is to watch for His coming on that day, it probably is not your most important day for which to watch.
-----After all, it is the Lord’s coming we are to watch for more than a particular day. Several years ago a deputy sheriff was shot to death near Lake City. The Sheriff who came to him as he laid dying told my friend that he looked up past him into the sky and pointed and breathed his last, “Jesus!” Surely it was not in the same vein as he may have exclaimed it while the bullet tore through his chest. For there comes a day in every person’s life that is the last, the one in which He comes. For that day we must carefully watch with well trimmed lamps whether it be our own particular day, or the day for everyone who is known by Him.
Love you all,
Steve Corey
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