"But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God." -- 2 Peter 3:10-12
In his current series on Turning Point, David Jeremiah is speaking on the book of Revelation. And while there are many different ideas about how those events will take place (or even if the pictures there are meant to represent specific events in every case), two things are clear:
- Believers don't need to fear the future. The end of the story is written. God wins!
- Non-believers have much reason for fear.
Peter says that the day of the Lord will come like a thief, echoing Jesus' words in Matthew 24 that no one knows exactly when he will come. Many will be unprepared, like the foolish virgins in Jesus' parable (Matthew 25:1-13). Peter goes on to ask the question, "What sort of people should we be?" in light of Jesus' imminent (but not pinpointed) return. We ought to live lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for the day of the Lord. And what else? Actually hastening the day of the Lord? How would we do that?
I'm sure there are many explanations of what that might mean, but to me, it's about prayer - specifically, prayer for the lost; and even more specifically, prayer for the unreached. Jesus says in Matthew 24:14 that the last sign before his return will be the gospel going to the entire world; and Revelation multiple times speaks of every nation, tribe, and language being represented before the throne of God. Again, people disagree about the exact meaning, but the intent is clear - the gospel must go to the entire world so that every people group can be represented in heaven.
Of course, for men this is impossible - but not for God. And that's where prayer comes in. In light of Jesus' return, we should have a sense of urgency regarding praying for our unsaved neighbors, family, and friends. And we should have that same urgency about praying for the advancement of the kingdom around the entire world, to every people group. One mission agency has the slogan, "A church for every people and the gospel for every person." May it be so, and may it be so quickly!
Comments
Prov 11:30
NASB The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who is wise wins souls.
CEV Live right, and you will eat from the life-giving tree. And if you act wisely, others will follow.
Dan 12:3
NLT Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.
CEV Everyone who has been wise will shine as bright as the sky above, and everyone who has led others to please God will shine forever like the stars.
MSG Men and women who have lived wisely and well will shine brilliantly, like the cloudless, star-strewn night skies. And those who put others on the right path to life will glow like stars forever.
John 9:4
We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work. NLT