31/03/13

Let not this great day go futile

Zephaniah 1:7,8 - Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.


In the Bible we read in many places the term Day of the Lord, they do not specify to a particular 24 hour day. The term day also means a period of time. The Day of Lord specifies to a period and that too not just one period but in fact 2 periods. There is the Day of the Lord which specifies to the Day of the Lord's wrath, when He pours His anger and then there is the other Day of the Lord which refers to the Day of Judgement when all from Noah to the end days who have believed in the Lord will stand before Him to be judged.

In today's message the Day of the Lord refers to the Day of Judgement when we all will stand before the Judgement Seat (does not refer to a worldly seat) from which the son of man Jesus Christ will judge us. Today's message talks of us being quiet before the Judgement Seat for we will not have the opportunity to speak a word because all we do and say in life will be like an open book, for all is recorded not only in Heaven but also in our hearts. Thus we will not have any say since we will be holding a copy of what is written in the Lord's book by which we are judged.

The message says it is by the sacrifice that all the guests stand before Him. Today we celebrate Resurrection Day and today is one of the most important day for us Christians, for it is this day by which we are saved from Hell. It is because of this day that all who believe in Jesus Christ are spared from Hell as He broken the curse of Hell by His resurrection. Just when He died He took all the sins of those who believe in Him on Himself and due to that He was forsaken by the Father, thus on His death He went to Hell. But since there was no sin in Him Hell could not keep Him, therefore He came back from Hell (rose again). Now all those who believed in Him are also free from Hell and thus all the guests which today's message speaks of are Christians.

But in today's message the Lord speaks of two types of guests, one who wear the bridegroom's given robes and those who wear strange robes.

We as Christians who believe in Christ do not get a ticket to Heaven but only those among us who are wearing the robe of the Bridegroom do. Jesus explained this same message in His parable of the wedding of the King's son.

Many Christian have an understanding that is contrary to the understanding of Word of God. Just because people quote scriptures it does not means people speak God's Word. We need to understand the scripture and confirm that understanding, meaning look up for other scripture that confirm the same understanding. Confirming does not only mean to see for another YES but also means to see in any say a NO. If even one scripture says a NO we need to forsake that understanding.

Today is one of the most important day for us Christians. It is by this day we are saved from Hell. It is by this day we stand before the Lord to be judged by Him. The Lord is telling us let us not let this great day go futile just because we are careless, stubborn or lazy. These 3 factors are the ones kill Christians all other factors are taken care of. Even inability in body and mind are taken care of but these 3 factors are the ones take kill us.

Let us not be lazy, suborn or careless let us make it a point to confirm all our understanding with the Word of God so that we are not caught with a strange understanding on Judgement Day. God will not judge us so much for the sins we have done out of weakness of our flesh but more by the understanding of His Word we hold. The Greek word translated as 'doeth' in Matthew 7:21 also means 'to bear'. To get the right understanding it does not mean only to learn scriptures but also live them through the Power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus also said when we are His disciple we will know the Truth and the Truth shall set us free.

I pray that we do not make futile this great sacrifice of the Lord and we rise to the Truth and right understanding of the Lord.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You did make available a great sacrifice and by your sacrifice we are saved from Hell. Lord, we pray we do not make this sacrifice futile in our lives by our laziness, our stubbornness and carelessness for the Kingdom of God and its Truth...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
Isaiah 2:12 - For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low:

Isaiah 34:8 - For it is the day of the LORD'S vengeance, and the year of recompences for the controversy of Zion.

Joel 2:1 - Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand;

Joel 2:11 - And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?

Joel 2:31 - The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.

Amos 5:18 - Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light.

Matthew 7:21 - Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

John 8:31-32
31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;
32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Matthew 22:11-14
11 And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment:
12 And he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless.
13 Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
14 For many are called, but few are chosen.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)