(James 5:8)
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For some years the Spirit of God has
been alerting humble, hungry Christians over the
world to be ready for the soon coming of the
Lord Jesus Christ to receive those who are ready
and looking for His appearing. In
Finney's day, though God sent mighty revivals
and souls by the thousands were saved, yet not
at that time did the Holy Sprit emphasize the
soon return of Jesus.
But now, God's hungry, humble
people; are being awakened by the Holy Spirit,
and alerted and aroused to "look up, and lift up
your heads; for your
redemption draweth nigh" (Luke
21:28).
It is one thing to know that Jesus
is coming, but quite another thing to be ready
for His return---as is illustrated by the five
wise and five foolish virgins in the
25th chapter of Matthew.
The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of
God, is the Head of the Church (Eph.
5:23-24). We should all pay strict
attention to what He says! "We shall
all stand before the judgment seat of Christ"
(Romans 14:10). We do not have to
stand before the judgment seat of anyone else at
that day.
Jesus says, "If a man love Me, he
will keep My words" (John 14:23). We
also read, "He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth
not My words hath one that judgeth him: the word
that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in
the last day" (John 12:48).
What a terrible thing to ignore or
set aside the repeated warnings and commands of
the Lord Jesus Christ to be ready, and to watch
and pray always (Matt. 24:44; Luke 21:34-36;
Mark 13:34-37). Now, I want to
mention that all of 'these' scriptures do no
have to do with the 'same coming' of the Lord,
but it 'carries' the same lesson…re: being
ready. Some of Jesus' saying referred to the
'then coming' destruction of Jerusalem.
"Beloved, now are we the sons of
God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall
be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we
shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He
is. And every man that hath this
hope in him purifieth himself, even as
He is pure" (1 John 3:2-3).
"We are saved by grace through
faith (Eph. 2:8). We are rewarded
according to our works. "Behold, I
come quickly; and my reward is with Me, to give
every man according as his work shall be"
(Rev.22:12).
"When the Bridegroom cometh, will
your robes be white---Pure and white: in the
Blood of the Lamb? Will your soul be
ready for the mansions, bright; And be washed in
the Blood of the lamb? Are you
washed in the
blood?"
