SCRIPTURE
“The great day of the Lord is near— near and coming quickly.
The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter; the mighty warrior shouts his battle cry. That day will be a day of wrath—a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness—a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers.” Zephaniah 1:14-16
SPOTLIGHT
What do you know about the future? How will the world end up? While giving his forecast, a weatherman omitted the word “showers,” which led him to make the following prediction; “There is less than 5% chance of tonight and tomorrow.” That grim warning pretty much sums up what the prophet Zephaniah said in his 3rd chapter of his book, as he prophesied about end times.
What days of the year do you look forward to? For many, it is the holidays such as Christmas, or Thanksgiving. Others may look forward to birthdays, or anniversaries. THE DAY OF THE LORD is not something to be anticipated with eagerness and excitement. It is mentioned more in this book than any other Old Testament book. In our Scripture text, this is not a 24 -hour day, but an extended period of time which will be marked by distress, trouble, anguish, ruin, darkness, gloom, clouds, blackness, and battle cries. It will end with the destruction of all people who have denied God. Who would ever want to experience that?
Zephaniah wrote to warn Judah of the judgment of God which he described as “the great day of the Lord.” He was warning his people that they faced punishment and captivity because of their sinful lifestyle. They had turned their backs on Godliness and purity. So, what does that mean to you? This prophecy also can apply to the future last days that will mark the end of the world. Donald Stamps writes in his commentary on Zephaniah, in the “Life in the Spirit” study Bible, “New Testament writers understood Zephaniah’s message about the “Day of the Lord,” as a description of the eschatological events that begin with the great tribulation, and conclude with Jesus’ return to judge the living and the dead. [Revelation 6:17; 3:8; 16:1]. Frequently, the New Testament refers to Christ’s second coming, and the day of judgment as, “the Day”. [ 1 Corinthians 3:13; 2 Timothy 1:12,18; 4:8.] Be sure to read, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11, for further understanding of this horrific day that is going to affect every human being on the face of the earth.
You really need to avoid being around for THE DAY OF THE LORD. Have you taken the right steps to be sure that you will not be attending? God loves you so much that He does not want you to be around during this time period. You have to repent of your sin and place your faith in Jesus Christ. {See 1 Corinthians 5:20,21.} Then you have to be careful not to become careless and abandon the faith. {See 1 Corinthians 6:1,2.} When Paul wrote to the Thessalonians,
he did not tell those Christians to get ready to be martyred for their faith because they would have to live through this terrible time. Instead, he instructed them to look forward to the Rapture of all believers. Read about that in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18. Are you ready to be moved off the face of the earth faster than the blink of your eyes? Will you get right with God today? Will you, then, be alert to spiritual dangers that could lead you away from living for Jesus Christ? Will you anticipate the Rapture which precedes, THE DAY OF THE LORD?
Just in case you are not sure that all of the above will take place, allow me to tell you a story which I believe will clarify any doubt. Did you ever hear about the clash between the 2 Babes? The famous baseball player named Babe Ruth, was called out by an umpire named Babe Pinelli. The crowd loudly booed the call. Babe Ruth turned around to the umpire and scornfully said, “There are 40,000 people here who know that the last pitch was a ball, tomato head.” Everyone within listening distance expected the umpire to angrily throw Ruth out of the game. Instead, Babe Pinelli quietly responded by saying, “Maybe so, Babe, but mine is the only opinion that counts.” People need to realize that THE DAY OF THE LORD is God’s call. His is the only one that counts. What He says will happen. There is no reason to doubt that He will keep His Word. But remember this. God loves people and longs for everyone to go to heaven. God gave His only Son to die on the cross so that no one would perish. However, He has warned that there is coming a day of judgment. That day is unavoidable. You need to be born again, and you need to tell your friends to get ready also.
SOMETHING TO DO
Here is your A I M for today;
Ask your Pastor to recommend a good book about the Rapture and the Day of the Lord.
Initiate conversations with other believers about the end times.
Make it your purpose to share your faith with people and pray for loved ones who have not yet committed their lives to Jesus Christ.
SOUL TIME PRAYER
Almighty God, I cannot begin to fathom this day of judgment that will someday impact every person in the world. Thank you that You have provided for anyone who believes on Your Son, Jesus Christ, salvation from sin and eternal life with You in heaven. Thank You no one has to face this dark time if they chose to trust You. And thank You Lord God for convincing me that I was a sinner in need of Your Son, the Savior. Use me to influence people to see their need to make the same decision. AMEN!