There is so much talk about September, and how events are lining up for something huge to happen to the earth. Many Christians believe that these events are pointing to the Rapture of the Church. I must admit that much of it is very compelling. So many events happening in the month of September that may or may not point to the Rapture. But some are attempting to convince believers that this is the time.  They say that this is not date setting, but I wonder….

I have many concerns about this. First, what does the Word say?

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh” (Matthew 24:36-44).

Clearly, Jesus tells us that only His Father knows the day and hour of His coming. He speaks of the days of Noah, and how people were going about their business; not giving Him a thought, and then after the door of the ark was closed, only then were the people carried away by the waters.

Jesus tells us to watch, because we don’t know what hour He will come. What this says to me is that we need to be ready every second of every day. Are we to look at the signs of His coming? Absolutely, yes! But I feel deeply in my spirit that He is telling us to always be ready to be taken from this wicked place by Him. We should be listening for that last trump, and have our spiritual houses in order.

“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness” (1 Thessalonians 5:1-5).

Here the Lord is reiterating that He will come unexpectedly, but they we are children of light and not darkness. I believe that He is saying that no matter what day He comes, we will be ready for Him!

MARANATHA:

Question: “What does ‘maranatha’ mean?”

Answer: Maranatha is an Aramaic word that means “the Lord is coming” or “come, O Lord.” The early church faced much persecution, and life for a Christian under Roman rule was not easy. The Romans required everyone to declare that Caesar was god. The early Christians knew that there is only one God and one Lord—Jesus Christ—and in all good conscience they could not call Caesar “Lord,” so the Romans looked upon them as traitors, persecuted them, and put them to death.

Living under those adverse conditions, the believers’ morale was lifted by the hope of the coming of the Lord. “Maranatha!” became the common greeting of the oppressed believers, replacing the Jewish greeting shalom (“peace”). The followers of Jesus knew there would be no peace because Jesus had told them so (Matthew 10:34; Luke 12:51). But they also knew the Lord would be returning to set up His kingdom, and from that truth they drew great comfort. They were constantly reminding and being reminded that the Lord is coming (Luke 21:28; Revelation 22:12). Jesus taught several parables on this same theme of watching and waiting and being prepared for His return (Matthew 25:1-13; Luke 12:35-40).

Today, believers in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ live our lives in the light of the knowledge that He can come at any time. We are to be ready when the call comes. Every day we should expect Him to come, and every day we should long for Him to come. Maranatha reminds us to keep our eyes on the eternal things of the Spirit. To dwell on material things is to be in constant mental turmoil. Looking down, we see the earth; looking around, we see earthly things. But looking up, we see the hope of the soon coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. To those who are discouraged today, Maranatha! To those who are worried today, Maranatha! To those who are filled with anxiety over the problems they are facing, Maranatha! Our Lord is coming! [1]

HIS COMING

I hope and pray that this September brings our Lord Jesus to snatch us away to be with Him forever. But I don’t like to say that I know that this is His timing. Can you imagine how many Christians are convinced that the hour is upon us? I am concerned about two things. One is that if this is not the time of His return, these precious brothers and sisters will be devastated and depressed. I am also concerned that many may be so excited about this, that they forget why we are still here — and that is to share Salvation with the lost!

Brethren, we must continue each day to serve Him. It is His will that we share the Words of life to others. They must know that He is the only way to heaven. We must tell them that all other religions are false and are deceptions from the evil one. How will they know if we don’t tell them?

The last Words of our Lord before He left this earth:

“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matthew 28:19-20).

MARANATHA!

[1] http://www.gotquestions.org/maranatha.html