Our monthly prayer circle met yesterday and my two great-nieces joined us. They had just returned from Passion Week at the beach. Louie Giglio was one of the speakers. As always, he had cut straight to the heart with his words.
They both shared what they'd learned and what had spoken to them the most. Each girl was moved by different things, but one point hit home for both of them.
Jesus is coming back and we're not ready.
The harvest needs to be gathered in and we're not fully in the field.
We pray for Jesus to return soon, yet we aren't doing what it takes to share the good news to every people group in the world. We're not even sharing the news of Jesus with the people we know and with whom we work and go to school.
If Jesus is delaying until all have heard the gospel, we need to get busy and start telling others about Him. There's kingdom work to be done and more than enough to go around.
We can't do nothing anymore.
As I've pondered the lessons the girls had learned, I had to agree. If we want Jesus to return, and we should, then we must stop contenting ourselves with social media, cute clothes, and nice fingernails. There's nothing inherently wrong with any of those things, but they can't be the extent of our lives.
A well-toned body and physical strength are admirable, but they aren't enough. Our spirit must be well-toned and strong, as well.
Participating in a Bible study or watching a Christian video is a good use of time, but not if we fail to put the lessons we learn into practice. The point of Bible study is not a notch on our spiritual belt. It's supposed to transform us and the way we live, to make us more like Jesus than we were before.
Posting a Scripture meme is not the same as sitting down over coffee with a friend and sharing what Jesus means to us.
How dare we pray for His return yet fail to prepare for that return with a lifestyle of discipleship? How dare we anticipate that glorious day without sharing the glorious news? Are we so callous that we want to keep all of heaven for ourselves and not invite our friends and family members to come along?
I might be wrong about this, but I believe we've stopped modeling our lives of discipleship on the original disciples and contented ourselves with a second-rate form of religion. Those early men and women of God were tireless in the cause of Christ.
Some years ago, I realized my circle of friends and acquaintances was filled with believers. There wasn't an unbeliever in the bunch. It was a simple prayer, but no less heartfelt. "Lord, send some lost people my way..." and He did. God longs to fill our lives with people who need Him, but it's pointless to send them our way if we won't share Christ with them when He does.
If we know Him, let's live like it. If we love Him, let's share Him. If we believe He's coming back, let's prepare by telling everyone we see that Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ is returning.
His return could be any day. Let's stop doing nothing and live like we believe He's coming again.
"You know the saying, 'Four months between planting and harvest,'? But I say, wake up and look around. The fields are already ripe for harvest. John 4:35 nlt
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