The coming of God is nearer than you may think!
Jesus told His disciples a parable in chapter twenty-one of Luke that would be a warning to all who are living in the last days of the earth as we know it.
And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh (near) at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. ~ Luke 21:29-31
As we have seen the temperatures soar upward in the southeastern United States this week, the trees have blossomed forth, exciting our senses with the colorful bouquets all around us. Isn't it interesting that Jesus, the Lord of all creation would use such a simple yet profound example as an indicator of a time when we should be watching for His return? Just as those colorful blooms excite our senses; so should the signs of the end times bring us joy as we see the day approaching. Most people avoid this subject in our day and time because most of us have become so involved, with the enjoyments and fulfillment of the things of this world, that we don't want to think about leaving this all behind.
As we have seen the temperatures soar upward in the southeastern United States this week, the trees have blossomed forth, exciting our senses with the colorful bouquets all around us. Isn't it interesting that Jesus, the Lord of all creation would use such a simple yet profound example as an indicator of a time when we should be watching for His return? Just as those colorful blooms excite our senses; so should the signs of the end times bring us joy as we see the day approaching. Most people avoid this subject in our day and time because most of us have become so involved, with the enjoyments and fulfillment of the things of this world, that we don't want to think about leaving this all behind.
With regret, I believe that many who are clinging to the things of this world for their joy and satisfaction in life, may not have to leave it behind after all. Jesus tells us to be watching for His coming to redeem us, rather than living in fear of the things that will be happening on the earth. His power in heaven is now being shaken, according to verse twenty-six. Go back and read chapter twenty-one of Luke and you will see the signs described by Jesus when the kingdom of God is getting near.
As this month passes and the blooms begin to fall from the trees, we will see the new growth begin to take place and the branches once again come to life with the greenery of it's foliage. The trees that appeared to be dead in their wintry state, will now give testimony to the world of it's true life hidden within it's core throughout the hard cold days of winter. We too will see these signs that Jesus spoke of begin to change as His kingdom draws nearer. The earlier blooms will fall and the leaves will spring forth and we will naturally know in ourselves that summer is very near. Well, in the last verse of this passage, Jesus says, "So likewise you, when you see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh (near) at hand."
Isn't it rather interesting that we become so accustom to warning signs and sounds that we sometimes don't even notice them. We'll react to the warning signs automatically most of the time, but sometimes we don't and that's when accidents happen. Will we be ready when Jesus comes to reunite with all who believe in Him? Will we be watching for Him like he tells us in this chapter? You may be thinking,"How can I know that I should really be looking for the Lord's return in my lifetime?". We'll look at this in the next post and you'll see why it's so important today!
As this month passes and the blooms begin to fall from the trees, we will see the new growth begin to take place and the branches once again come to life with the greenery of it's foliage. The trees that appeared to be dead in their wintry state, will now give testimony to the world of it's true life hidden within it's core throughout the hard cold days of winter. We too will see these signs that Jesus spoke of begin to change as His kingdom draws nearer. The earlier blooms will fall and the leaves will spring forth and we will naturally know in ourselves that summer is very near. Well, in the last verse of this passage, Jesus says, "So likewise you, when you see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh (near) at hand."
Isn't it rather interesting that we become so accustom to warning signs and sounds that we sometimes don't even notice them. We'll react to the warning signs automatically most of the time, but sometimes we don't and that's when accidents happen. Will we be ready when Jesus comes to reunite with all who believe in Him? Will we be watching for Him like he tells us in this chapter? You may be thinking,"How can I know that I should really be looking for the Lord's return in my lifetime?". We'll look at this in the next post and you'll see why it's so important today!
If you'd like to go ahead and get a jump on the answer to this question, go and read verses thirty-two through thirty-six of chapter twenty-one of Luke. Selah.
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