Hey guys n gals,
Well, May 21st came and went, and, as expected, nothing happened. Here we are, and I seriously doubt that anyone who knows his/her Bible is nearly as disappointed as the followers of Harold Camping. Its should come as no surprise that there are those who make such predictions. We've seen this act before, and each time some wacko takes the stage with his bold predictions about the end of the world, we roll our eyes and wish he would just shut up and stop embarrassing the rest of us.
After all, the enemy loves to discredit the church by exploiting these false prophets. Leave it to him to take full advantage of every opportunity to make us all look like a bunch of fruitcakes. How else does a man like Harold Camping gain such instant recognition? Someone is pulling strings.
That is not the purpose of today's message to you, however. Instead I would like to look at it from another angle, if you will permit.
When suppertime on May 21st came and went, and you first realized that you were still here, what did you first think of? Aside from the fact that every believer would far rather be with the Lord, what was the first thing you thought of about life here on earth? Some people maybe were relieved that they could still get married someday. Some thought about the fact that they still hadnt experienced the joy of raising children. Some were relieved that they could still finish that big business deal, or that new thing they were about to purchase. What was it for you?
Did you think about your family? Were you glad that you or they were still around? Or were all your thoughts turned inward?
The best thing, and often the most forgotten and least spoken of, is that we still have time to reach out to our lost friends, neighbors, and loved ones. Those who we care about who have yet to repent and trust the Savior. God is still being longsuffering and patient with them, giving them more time to repent. Were you relieved that there was still time for your family to come to Christ? Were you grateful that you were still given time to reach out and share the gospel with those you love?
Perhaps you were feeling a little perplexed inside in the last few days leading up to the supposed day of the rapture because you knew you had not been faithful to share with people as you should. Often when people have near-death experiences they say that all they could think about was the regret of the things they should have done in life, but never did. Their experience changes their priorities in life.
If the rapture had happened today, how many people in your life, whether at work, at school, in your family, in your neighborhood, etc., are there that you would wish you had tried harder to reach with the gospel of Jesus Christ? How many of them could point an accusing finger at you on Judgment Day and ask, "Why didn't you tell me?!" Think about it.
It is my hope that we can take a lesson from May 21st that will actually be useful. As the world sits back and laughs at God's promise, let us realize that one day that promise will become reality, and the very thing they once laughed and scoffed at will really happen. One day the laughter of the world will turn to mourning. One day the church will be gone and many people will be left to face the full wrath of God in the tribulation. One day, the world will stand before Him and the books will be opened, and anyone whose name is not found written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire.
We have been give one great commission here on earth. Let us be true and faithful witnesses. Let us be good and faithful servants. Don't waste your time building your own empire, but spend your life building the kingdom of God. One day, it will be your last day. Leave this life with no regrets. Think about it.
Until next time,
See you on the streets!