A Call To The Remnant

Mat 25:6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

The children of Israel had been given certain promises by God. Of course they were promised the land, the promised land. Yet because of unbelief and disobedience they were forced to wander and die in the wilderness for forty years. So here we have a vivid connection between disbelief and disobedience and the displeasure of God. That particular generation, all who were over 20 years of age, would not enter into that place promised by God. Now God took care of their basic needs, but they would not pass over into the promises nor would they take possession of all that God had for them.

Can I suggest that we are living in such a generation? The signs of the times are all around us. We know that Jesus told us that He would come back for His own. We know that there is a second coming and that Jesus told us about these things in Matt 24 and the parable of the foolish virgins and so on. We are given pointers from Scripture and of course we have the Holy Spirit to lead and to guide us and to show us the times in which we live. Many will casually say that the end is near, that the world is in chaos and without direction and that Jesus must be coming back soon. Yet my question is, does Christendom really believe that?

I have two scenarios for you to consider. The first scenario is that you go to the doctors tomorrow, he has recently ran a series of tests and he asks you to please sit down in a slightly strange tone of voice. He tells you that you have terminal cancer, it is beyond treatment. At best, you have two months left to live. Now here is what I want you to consider. Would you live your last two months on this earth the same way that you had just lived your previous two months? Can I suggest that you would not? The unimportant things of life would simply vanish would they not? The things that had previously caused you anxiety and stress would disappear as the reality of your impending departure brings into sharp focus what is truly important in this life and by the same token what is not.

Scenario number two. For whatever reason, it has been announced to you that the President of the United States is coming to visit you in two months time. He will visit for a couple of hours and eat dinner with you and your family at your house. Now what will the next two months look like? Will they be ordinary months? Will it be business as usual? Or, will you go to extraordinary lengths to make sure your house is in the best shape it can be? Maybe you need new carpet, you had not really thought about it much before but now it is a pressing issue. Maybe the walls need to be painted. They were not that bad before but now that the President is coming, well, not that bad is just not good enough. What about the landscaping outside your house, first impressions and all that? Then there is what you will feed your guest and so on. I would imagine that most people would be consumed with the visit for the better part of the two months until he comes.

Now, do you really believe that Jesus is coming back soon? Really? Does any of your actions and thoughts compare to the scenarios above? If not, why not? Is it possible you may have to re-think what you give lip service to? Where is the passion? What about the urgency? Are you caught up in the things of the world? How could that be if you truly believe that the Bride-groom is at the door and He is coming for His Bride? Now I agree that we should all be living for Christ every day of our lives. Yet can I suggest to you that human nature being what it is, tends to take the path of least resistance. We all need jolted into action at various times in our lives. The very real possibility of Jesus returning soon should be enough to wake up a sleeping church, a lethargic Christendom. But, and here is the key, you must believe that.

The Israelites had seen many miracles in their lives and had indeed seen all the plagues that had befallen Egypt. Can I suggest that our world today is riddled with plagues. Does it make you sit up and take notice? The Israelites had been delivered from the Egyptians by way of a mighty miracle. Have you not been delivered from the world by something more miraculous than the parting of the sea? Salvation by God Himself delivered you personally. Yet even after the sea was parted the Israelites still did not believe the promises of God. And before you are to hard on them, you who have been delivered, do you believe the word and the promises of God? The Israelites saw many miracles after they came through the red sea. Have you not seen miracles in your life? They still wandered aimlessly in dis-belief, how about you?

Brothers and sisters the time is short. Is serving Him your passion? Do you truly have an expectancy that the Lord is at the door? If so, does your life reflect such an urgency, such a fire and a passion? Our lives and the way we live them represents whether the Word in us is alive and full of light. Has disobedience and unbelief caused you to wander in a dry and dusty land where there is no water? There has to be living waters flowing through us. We need light for the darkness, we need waters for the drought, we need food for the famine and last and most importantly we need oil for our vessels and we need it now. Can I tell you that oil for your vessels comes from expectancy, comes from hope, comes from actually believing that the Lord is at the door. When we believe, when we obey, when we trust in Him because there is no other way, then we draw close to Jesus.

Jesus tells us that at the midnight hour that the cry went out that behold the Bridegroom comes, go out and meet Him. Go out and meet Him! In the parable of the foolish virgins, the wise virgins light up the way with their lamps in the midnight hour to lead the Bridegroom to the Bride. The world is facing the midnight hour. The Bridegroom comes. The cry is going out to awaken the church for His return is imminent. Will you light up the world in the midnight hour or will you be swallowed up in darkness?