Message
The Old Testament ends with these words: ‘See, I will send the prophet Elijah to you before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the parents to their children, and the hearts of the children to their parents; or else I will come and strike the land with total destruction’ (Mal. 4:5-6, NIV).
The Bible also tells us a ‘falling away’ will take place before the day of the Lord comes (2 Thess. 2:1-3). Falling away does not simply mean abandoning the Christian faith. It also means defecting to a counterfeit Christianity, and this falling away has already taken place. Many today believe in ‘another Jesus,’ and many today have received ‘a different spirit’ and accepted ‘a different gospel’ (2 Cor. 11:4).
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, died for our sins. He was buried, and He was raised on the third day (1 Cor. 15:3-4). Christ Jesus redeemed us at the cross with His own precious blood (1 Pet. 1:18-19), and He has reconciled us to God (Eph. 2:13-18).
This same Jesus tells us: ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.’ (Luke 9:23-24, NKJV) These words of Jesus Christ have never changed: ‘He who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.’ (Matt. 10:38, NKJV)
Many who profess to call Jesus Christ ‘Lord’ will one day hear these words from Him: ‘I do not know you, where you are from.’ (Matt. 7:21-23; Matt. 25:1-13; Luke 13:23-30) Many will one day find themselves cast into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 8:10-12; Matt. 22:2-14; Matt. 24:36-51; Matt. 25:14-30; Luke 13:23-30).
The Lord Jesus Christ is coming again, and those who are truly Christ’s will be gathered to Him at His coming (1 Cor. 15:23; 2 Thess. 2:1; 2 Tim. 2:19).
Will you be gathered to Christ when He comes again?
Ps. Johann