Part 19 - Warning

We have lived in such stable times since the end of World War Two, that many of us have believed that life will go on peacefully, forever. Sure, there has been the odd blip here and there, but our experience has been 'nothing much will change.'

This belief has allowed several things to flourish in the west. Firstly, we are totally at the mercy of revisionist thinking, which has sought to turn societies (Christian) values on their head. We have said to ourselves, 'we can do what we want; there probably wont be any consequences anyway.' It has even taken children to tell us about the catastrophic damage to the environment. Secondly, we have assumed an upward trend of progress would take place. Apart from the bankers blowing up the economy here and there, things can only get better, as one band sang. Thirdly, we have arrogantly believed that we are the masters of our own destiny and can conquer pretty much anything that crosses our path. 'We don't do God', as one spin doctor said.

While COVID 19 is a horrible thing, it also reminds us that these things are not true. We are far more fragile than many of us— certainly I— like to believe.

We have seen the fear in one another's eyes as we have accidentally stepped too close in the supermarket and feared the transmission of the virus. We have watched with horror as the systems we have perhaps trusted in, have not delivered. And the Bible would invite us to consider in light of this our utter fragility and need of the Lord. It wants us to see that we are not the masters of our destiny. The Lord would also want us to consider that the security people build around themselves in order to shut him out, can be easily shattered in the blink of an eye. All of us still have the chance to take this on board, during this mini-disaster, before the final day.

Jesus said, in Matthew 24:36-44: 'But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. This is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other one left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other one left. Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come...the Son of man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.'

So how do we get ready? That involves making Jesus the king of our life now and turning away from our sin in repentance and faith. The Bible says that we are either friends or enemies of the king. It is a choice that each of us has to make. Will we make Jesus our Lord while we are still in peace time, or will he come as our conquering king and judge us? That day is an amazing day for his faithful servants, and a day of disaster for everyone else. No-one is shut out from the opportunity to be safe in that final day. You can hear the warning in God's Word and receive Jesus today, but you have to do that for yourself. It is not about being ok because you are a decent person. It is about being saved, because you are not a decent person. If you would like to find out more about becoming a Christian, please do get in touch through our Contact Us page.