One Day Closer
We Are One Day Closer
Israel-Hamas War
No doubt, you’ve seen the awful headlines, but does the Israel-Hamas war signal that our generation is living in the End Times?
The disturbing images and reports on the news are horrific, including the mass murder of women, children, and the elderly.
We are witnessing blatant evil and depravity.
Reading the words of our Savior, we learn that Jesus taught His disciples about birth pains and the end times events to come.
It’s hard to miss the fact that countries are lining up against Israel, as prophesied.
But, there’s a big problem when people engage in date-setting and, in some cases, write books about specific dates.
Jesus said to His followers in Mark 13:
32 But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone.
33 “Watch out, stay alert; for you do not know when the appointed time is. – Mark 13:32-33, (NASB).1
“No one knows” means exactly that – “no one knows!”
No book author, Christian preacher, false teacher, or church knows exactly when the glorious return of Jesus Christ (His Second Coming) will happen.
If God wanted us as His creation to know, He would have told us.
The Rapture hasn’t even happened yet.
The Church is still here.
Here’s what we do know for sure about God’s timing . . . we are 100% guaranteed, no question, absolutely sure that we are one day closer.
That’s it.
We are one day closer, and Jesus’ return is near – er.
Until His return, the horrific events we are witnessing in the headlines (and more to come) are the result of living in a fallen world.
The world needs Jesus!
Photo by Elianna Gill on Unsplash
One Day Closer, But Why Don’t We Know the Date?
Why didn’t God tell us the date?
God is sovereign.
Only He knows the big picture of events – the beginning and the end.
Since we don’t know the time or date, we should always be ready.
The verse quoted above from Mark 13 is clear – in essence, “stay alert.”
On the one hand, it serves as a vivid reminder that the things of this world are temporary (cf. 2 Peter 3:11–13; 1 John 2:15–17; 3:2–3), and that the redeemed are citizens of an eternal kingdom that is yet to be revealed on earth when the Lord comes in glory (Phil. 3:20–21; Heb. 11:16). On the other hand, it provides a compelling motivation for believers to proclaim the glorious gospel of Christ to those who are perishing, so that they might be saved from the impending judgment of God (cf. 2 Cor. 5:20–21; 2 Peter 3:14–15). – as quoted in preceptaustin.org.2
In the meantime, please pray for the release of the hostages in this brutal war.
We should also continue to pray for God’s will to be done, and that what we’re seeing on the world stage will bring the unsaved around the world to Christ.
It’s only through Jesus Christ, as His Elect, we will have eternal security and safety.
35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or trouble, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 Just as it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We were regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”37 But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 8:35-39, (NASB).3
Come, Lord Jesus.
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1 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
2 Precept Austin quotation is from the Mark 13 Commentary, [2023] Courtesy of Precept Austin, Subheading, “Watch For Him” Web. Accessed 21 October, 2023.
3 Scripture quotation is from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
