Time Is Running Out

The following is a post I wrote yesterday for an internet group that I belong to. I want to make sure I don't forget my own advice so I am posting it here, too. With all that is happening around the world, I must not grow complacent and lazy, thinking that our LORD's return is some far off someday sort of thing. Time is running out! Our LORD's return is ever closer. I have always believed that He would return in my lifetime, and though I cannot say that with certainty because I certainly do NOT know the day or the hour of His return, I still believe that it is quite likely to happen during my lifetime--and as the world is going, likely it will be quite soon. The Holy Spirit continually reminds me that this world is passing away and I need to be ready. May I not forget to be ready and waiting...

Each one of us need to examine ourselves and see whether we be in the faith or not. It isn't enough to have grown up in a Christian home, to have been baptized whether as an infant or when older, to have been to confirmation or catechism classes, to be a faithful church member. You must be born again! I know it's been around for ages, but the saying is still true: going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than sitting in your garage will make you a car. The only thing that makes you a Christian is believing in the LORD Jesus the Messiah and walking in His ways. It's not even enough to have gone forward at an altar call or to have repeated the sinner's prayer. That's merely a first step. If it isn't followed by a changed life, then it means nothing. Faith without works is dead. Jesus said that if we would be His disciples then we must take up our cross and follow Him. Believing in Him is good, but just believing that He is, isn't enough; the demons also believe and tremble. We must also walk in His ways. And how do we learn what His ways are? Going to church can help, but the first and most important way to learn and to grow in faith is to read His Word every day, regularly. He has given us the Holy Spirit to teach us--and if we sincerely seek Him in His Word, the Holy Spirit WILL teach us. Jesus IS coming back soon; all the signs point to it. I can't say positively that it'll happen in the next 5 or 10 years, but it's closer to us now than it was yesterday. We need to be ready. He's returning for a Bride who has made herself ready, who is eagerly awaiting His appearing, and who is faithful to Him in every way. It's time to put aside the things of this earth, to live like people who are looking forward to that New Jerusalem, to set our affections on things above instead of on things of this earth, for this earth is passing away and all of the things we love in it with it.

It's time to wake up! Our redemption draweth nigh! How should we then live? Are we redeeming the time or are we wasting the precious minutes and hours that He's given to each of us? None of us knows when we will die, how long we have to take our relationship to the LORD seriously; let's do it now! How many of us would ignore a handsome, loving, human lover? Not many of us, I'm thinking, and yet we ignore the Lover of our soul! We ignore His love letters to us--the Bible. We ignore time spent with Him in prayer, communicating the deepest desires of our hearts. What's up with that? I know I need to make some changes in my priorities; how about you? Think about it.