Scripture: 2 Peter 3 v 10 - 14: "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?
13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
14 Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless."
Isaiah 34 v 4: "And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree."
The day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night. Suddenly and without warning shall it come. The enemy of God will be surprised and defeated by it. The saints of God will be liberated by it.
One of the mindblowing results will be a change in the heavens above us. All the host of heaven shall be dissolved. They shall pass away with great noise and fervent heat like our Sun has exploded and consumed everything, including this Earth and everything in it. The need for this planet will no longer exist as it was only useful for a place to keep human beings until each soul had a free will opportunity to choose their eternal destination.
This means that like a thief in the night Jesus has removed His believers, and the Israelites, from Earth to a safe place, which will be new heavens and a new Earth. This will be an Earth with no blemish nor pollution, sinless, disease free and no death. It will be a place of righteousness and we must be seen to be righteous here on Earth first.
1 Corinthians 2 v 9: "But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him."
Wherever we eventually end up it will be beyond our wildest imagination and a continuous blessing without sorrow or strife. This is what our hearts yearn for and to achieve it our lives in the here and now must measure up to it.
Our Father has gone to the outermost to save us from eternal death and separation from Himself. He wants us near Him but no sin can come into His Presence, therefore we must be as little, innocent children, pure of heart, free of malice.
The battle over abortion rights in America this past few days is shocking. What about the rights of the unborn child to choose his or her destiny? This living child is thrown on the scrapheap because its parents had no moral self-control, and this accidental pregnancy must be terminated because they do not care to be responsible for it. It is murder.
God will judge every person involved from parents, clinics, doctors, nurses, counsellors and governments that pass legislation contrary to the Constitution. Every political party subscribing to the rights of abortion to win the votes of careless, reckless, sinful, lustful people, will one day stand before the Righteous Judge and wish they hadn't committed second degree murder in His eyes.
He sent Jesus His Son to show us the example of what we are capable of. He wants us to have the same relationship with Him that Jesus has. We are seated in Christ in heavenly places at the right hand of the Father. Are we aware of His closeness?
Do we walk with Him in the cool of the evening as Adam did? Talking with Him as a natural flow of our love? We need to revisit the simplicity that is in Christ because the church has become a very complicated, complex, unwieldy contraption.
Revelations 2 v 4 - 5: "Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.
5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent."
This was the glorified, resurrected, ascended Jesus' first letter to the churches. We have lost our first love for Him and have added all this other stuff to try to replace it. We need to get back to basics that the first disciples had. Love one another as I have loved you, says Jesus.
To be unified as the Body of Christ we need to scrap everything that has been added to this simple truth. We must scrap all the clutter of denominations (divisions) and doctrines of men (traditions), all pomp and ceremony, religious garb, fancy churches and high altars.
Did the disciples or Jesus have that? They were out in the open with 5 loaves and 2 fish which God blessed to feed a multitude. Not pew sitting year after year in costly buildings, doing little or nothing to reach the lost.
Let us look to Jesus and ask Him if lofty cathedrals with beautiful rose windows glorify Him. Steeples to reach the heights of Heaven like the unpleasing Tower of Babel. All Jesus wants is for sincere followers to gather in one Spirit to worship Him in truth, and to go forth and bring the lost to Him.
Instead we build great churches and tell the lost where to find them. Jesus has removed His light from such places and moved among the lowly to raise up those who will walk in His footsteps. He never gave instruction for Bible schools, courses, schedules, programs and structured hierarchy.
When I heard His call to go into the ministry my first thought was to go to Bible College. I prayed and asked for direction. I immediately got 1 John 2 v 27: "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."
When He calls us, He prepares us, teaches us, anoints us and sends us where He wants us. He initiates everything, and we must just follow like the simple sheep we are.
The ministries of Jesus are Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors (bishops) and Teachers. He adds Helps, those who sort out the finances and feed the poor. He says where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them.
Ephesians 4 v 11 - 12: "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:"
He is coming as a thief in the night to collect those who are truly obedient in life and love.
Matthew 7 v 13 - 14: "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:
14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."
Prayer: Heavenly Father, We don't know exactly when, but everything around us says that soon Jesus will come as a thief in the night and many will be left behind. There are few who live the life of love and simplicity You want to observe. Few that find the strait, moral, gate, and narrow, obedient path that leads to life. Lord God, let the reader understand and commit to living the true life of a believer. In Jesus' name. Amen.