Scripture for Today, 1-8-19: We are not in darkness!

Jesus is Coming – Soon I Hope!
“But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day should overtake you like a thief…for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober.”

1 Thessalonians 5:1-6; Matthew 24:42-44
 
1-7-19, * -- Many people believe there is nothing that can be known about the timing of the Lord’s return because Jesus said He would return like a “thief in the night.” However, the Apostle Paul makes it clear that Jesus’ statement does not apply to believers. [1 Thess 5:4-6] He explained that we are not of ‘darkness.’ Paul is referring, of course, to the light of the Holy Spirit who indwells all true born again believers (John 3:3, 7; 1 John 2:27).
 
God never pours out His wrath without warning. (Revelation 19:11) He warned the world through Noah for 120 years. He warned Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah by two angels. He sent Jonah to warn the pagan city of Nineveh and He sent Nahum to the same city 150 years later. Likewise, God is warning the world today that His Son is about to return.

​We are given notice by key prophecies:

• Prophecies that were “sealed up” until the end times (Daniel 12:4,9) are now unsealed (Revelation 22:7-17).
• The re-establishment of the state of Israel which occurred on May 14, 1948. Jesus singled out this event as the one that would signal His soon return. Ezekiel 36:24; Amos 9:14-15; Zechariah 14:1; Joel 2:30-31, 3:1; Mark 13:14 [Dome of Rock]
• The Jewish re-occupation of the city of Jerusalem is proof positive that we are living in the season of the Lord’s return as it marks the end of the Gentile Age. In 70 A.D. Romans conquered Jerusalem and dispersed the Jews among the nations. Jerusalem remained under Gentile occupation for 1,897 years until June 7, 1967, when Israel won the city back during the Six Day War.  Luke 21:24 
• The Gospel has been preached to the whole world (Matthew 24:14), a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2:28-32), and spiritual illumination to understand.
• The great end time outpouring of people turning to Christ -  Joel called it “the latter rain” (Joel 2:23), and he said it would occur after the Jews had returned to their land.​

---

God is alerting believers by what are called “signs of the times.” Jesus says in Luke 21:28 that when these signs begin to happen, we should “straighten up and lift up our heads” because “our redemption is drawing near.” The Bible is full of these signs that have been fulfilled in this century as follows:
​
1) Nature — We are told to watch for earthquakes, famine, pestilence, and signs in the heavens (see Matthew 24:7-8 and Luke 21:11). Historically there was warning for the great flood in the days of Noah (Genesis 6:3), locust invasion (Joel 1:3), drought, wind storms, mildew, locusts, famine and pestilence (Amos 4:6-10; Haggai 1:10-11).
 
2) Society — Mankind will become increasingly lawless and immoral as the time approaches for the Lord’s return; it will be as evil as it was in the days of Noah and Lot. (Matthew 24:12,37-39; 2 Timothy 3:1-5). It’ll characterized by three loves: self (Humanism), money (Materialism) and pleasure (Hedonism). Society will wallow in despair and their minds will become depraved (Romans 1:28), people will call evil good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20). They will love their sin so God will send a strong delusion (2 Thess 2:10-12).
 
3) Spiritual — the appearance of false Christs and their cults (Matthew 24:5,11,24), the apostasy of the professing church (2 Thessalonians 2:3), an outbreak of Satanism (1 Timothy 4:1), and the persecution of faithful Christians (Matthew 24:9). Mormonism, Jehovah’s Witnesses and others. True Christianity has come under increasing attack and Judeo-Christian values, once the foundation of Western Civilization, are now openly mocked. Those who  adhere to them are castigated as “intolerant haters bigoted fundamentalists.”

4) Israel — The Jewish people will be regathered from the “four corners of the earth” (Isaiah 11:10-12) and the re-establishment of the state of Israel (Isaiah 66:7-8). Once the Jews are back in their land, the land itself will experience a miracle of reclamation (Isaiah 35:3) and the desert will bloom. Another is the revival of the Hebrew language (Zephaniah 3:9); the Jews ceased to speak Hebrew when they were dispersed from their land in 70 A.D. In 1967 the Jews re-occupation of Jerusalem (Luke 21:24), the resurgence of Israeli military strength (Zechariah 12:6) and the re-focusing of world politics on Israel (Zechariah 12:3).

There is no way to escape the conclusion that we are living on borrowed time. The signs of the times are upon us, and they are shouting for our attention. Are you ready? If Jesus were to return today, would He be your “Blessed Hope” (Titus 2:11-14) or would He be your “Holy Terror” (Revelation 6:12-17)?
 
If you have never received Him as your Lord and Savior, now is the time to act. Repent of your sins, and call upon the name of the Lord that you might be saved (Luke 13:3; Acts 2:14-39).
 
*Excerpted and adapted full original message from Dr. David R. Reagan here