I Wish We'd All Been Ready

There is an old song by dc Talk called I Wish We'd All Been Ready that couldn't emphasize more the importance of doing as the Lord commanded and reaching the lost. The day is coming when it will be too late to share our faith and even though we don't know when the day is, there is a lot of evangelicals who would say the day is approaching. We feel it. We know it.

We also know that the Lord tarries so that more can be saved. He longs for His Kingdom to be filled with people that love Him!

..."There is no time to change your mind. The Son has come and you've been left behind. I wish we'd all been ready"...

This is why I continue to press on for the faith to let the millions know that the day of judgment is coming, whether we are alive when He returns or not. As it says in Hebrews 9:27, And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.

..."The Father spoke, the demons dined. How could you have been so blind? There's no time to change your mind. The Son has come and you've been left behind"....

I don't want anyone to be left behind much less myself which is why I examine myself to make sure that I am remaining in the faith. And, no, I can't do it all. But as laborers for His harvest we are supposed to be reaching out to warn those who are traveling down the wrong path to destruction.

Oh, that day will be here when He will appear in the clouds and all doubt about His existence will be erased forever. All thoughts about turning from our sin when we get around to it will be forever moot. For some it will be more than they can take as they realize that it's too late. As a person who is sharing her faith more and more I don't want anyone that is supposed to hear the gospel to realize it's too late. This is why it is not a waste of my time. Each passing day I get more and more devoted to the cause of spreading the truth of the gospel. Because, unfortunately, the Bible does say that some will be left behind. What a sobering thought! But, oh, how I long for his glorious return!

..."A man and wife asleep in bed, she hears a noise and turns her head, he's gone. I wish we'd all been ready. Two men walking up a hill, one disappears, one is left standing still. I wish we'd all been ready...

I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. (Luke 17:34-36)

You can't help but wonder when you read that verse just what it could mean. Did the person that was taken say all they could to change the other person's mind? Where they praying for that person enough so that the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit could be done in their heart? Did they open their mouth at all and say anything even if it meant losing them as a friend? I think the worse thing would be to look back with tears in my eyes and be thinking that I hadn't done my best to reach them. Even through all my faults and failures I hope that I can still be an example of Christ. I don't want to have to look back and say that I didn't try. What is a waste of time is for me to be a friend but not say anything or be praying for an eternal work of salvation in a person's life. That is a waste of time.

When the Lord returns it will be to establish His kingdom and gather those that are true followers of Him. My heart aches for those who refuse to see. The bad fish will be cast away and left behind. I do not wish for anyone to perish.

Matthew 14:34-50 says, Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind: Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away. So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Even then, just proclaiming the gospel is not enough. Since salvation is a supernatural work of God in someones heart then we must be praying as well. Praying that the Lord opens the eyes of the blinded. Praying that those who read a tract or that we may have a conversation with is alerted to the fact that perhaps maybe they aren't quite right with God after all. It was a sobering thought for me but one that changed my life and my focus dramatically. Each day brings more and more urgency to reach those that intellectually have the knowledge of Christ but aren't living it. We must be praying as the Lord says for laborers to be increased for His harvest. But we can not overlook that we can not pray effectively if we are not doing it ourselves!

Are you putting your hand to the plow and not looking back? Are you ready for His return? What if you knew it was tomorrow?

We must labor for the harvest.

We must contend for the faith.

We must be praying for the lost.

...You've been left behind. You've been left behind...