31 AUGUST

THE COMING REDEEMER

“After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

And they cried out in a loud voice:

“Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne,

and to the Lamb.”

(Revelation 7:9-10, NIV)

This is the final distant future event that will fulfil the prophecy, “The sceptre will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he to whom it belongs shall come and the obedience of the nations shall be his” (Genesis 49:10, NIV). One day, soon, Jesus our Redeemer will come. The signs are being fulfilled – wars and rumours of wars; famines and earthquakes; deceivers who claim to be ministers of Christ; increase in wickedness and the love of many growing cold; as well as heightened persecution of Christians, as recorded in John 16: 2-3, “They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, the time is coming when anyone who kills you will think they are offering a service to God. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.”

Jesus our Redeemer will come again to take His own people home to a  new heaven and a new earth – a land of “Immanuel” – God with us; a land of no tears, no death, no mourning, no sickness, no pain, no fear, no worries, no failures and no darkness at all.

How wonderful that day shall be! A day of joy for believers but a day of mourning, as a result of judgement without mercy and grace, for unbelievers.

The time to choose is now.

ACTION: Declare, with your words and lifestyle: MARANATHA! COME, LORD JESUS, COME!

PRAYER: Lord, count me worthy to be among those to dwell with you in eternity. Let your grace be sufficient for me.