Tuesday, May 31, 2016
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The love of Mary Ann's life, Tom, was coming for a visit. He lived in another state, so those visits were really special. He was due to arrive Friday night or Saturday sometime, and Mary Ann's room had been declared a federal disaster area. Finally, on Thursday afternoon, she decided she'd better get busy trying to recover her room. It was really in an embarrassing condition. You know sometimes you have to make things messier, of course, in the process of getting them put away or thrown away.
Mary Ann's room was at that point on Friday morning when the phone rang. It was Tom. He was calling to say he loved her and that he was looking forward to seeing her soon. That was all the incentive she needed to finish the job. Unfortunately, she did not get that opportunity. Tom had called from downstairs. He had arrived earlier than Mary Ann expected. So in he walked and there she stood, dressed in her "grubbies", hair matted on her forehead, surrounded by an indescribable mess!
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Ready Or Not, Here He Comes."
Poor girl! I mean, he came at a time when she did not expect him, and she was not ready. Not being ready might be okay when it's a boyfriend who's arriving unexpectedly. It's not okay when it's God who's arriving unexpectedly, which seems to be His modus operandi.
That's why Jesus provided this inside information for us in our word for today from the Word of God in Matthew 24, beginning with verse 39, where He tells us what His coming will be like. "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come...Be ready because the Son of God will come at an hour when you do not expect Him."
Jesus was speaking specifically here of that day when He will return to this earth to write the final chapter of human history – the Second Coming of Christ. And while He made clear that no one will be able to predict the exact time He will come, He did give us signs that would be evident in the world when heaven's two-minute warning has been sounded.
And many Bible scholars believe that the world has never looked more like the kind of world Jesus said He would return to than it does today. People seem to be able to sense that. Look at how they made years ago the "Left Behind" series that became huge bestsellers because it was about a scenario for what the Bible calls the "last days." One major network aired a major mini-series entitled "Revelations" – again imagining that world that Jesus will return to. You hear on the news more and more of the words like "apocalyptic" and biblical proportions.
But whether or not Jesus comes back physically in our generation, He is most certainly going to come for you in this generation. And when He does, will you be ready? The Bible describes us as being in a mess – the mess of a life where we've sinned against God, we've ignored God, we've marginalized God, we've rejected God's rule of our life.
But that same Bible says, "God demonstrates His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8). You and I did the sinning; Jesus did the dying so He could forgive those sins that otherwise would condemn you forever. You're not ready to meet Him though until your sins have been erased from God's book. And that can only happen when you make the Savior your Savior, by turning over the life that He gave you to the One who gave His life for you. This could be your day to "get ready" if you'll tell Jesus, "I'm Yours."
In fact, right now where you are, why would you hesitate when there's so much at stake? And when today is the only guaranteed day you have? Tell Him this, "Jesus, I have run my own life. I am sorry. That's over. I believe You died for the very sins that I have committed in my life. No one loves me like You do. Jesus, I'm yours."
There's all the information you need to anchor a relationship with Jesus Christ at our website. That's what it's there for. I would ask you to come and meet me there so we can help you make sure you are ready for your appointment with Him. That website's ANewStory.com.
He'll be coming for you, one way or another, and then it's too late to get ready. The time to do that is now. Putting it off means risking your eternity. Opening your heart to Jesus means you are ready for eternity, whenever it comes.