#2 Closer Than You Think

Closer Than You Think
#2 July 12, 2005
"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock." Revelation 3:20

As I write this today, the death toll from London's terrorist bombings last Thursday is over 50. I woke on that morning to the horrible news on the television and experienced a deep sadness in my spirit. For London's people, for families who lost loved ones and for the injured. My deepest pain however was for those who died who did not know Christ. I'm willing to bet there were a few.

I was reminded that morning of Matthew 14:27. "Jesus spoke to them saying, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." That verse and the words of my devotional, "When you doubt, look around; I, Jesus, am closer than you think", (Lucado, Max. Grace for the Moment) reminded me of the Lord's nearness. His nearness gave me comfort in that moment, but His nearness in another respect caused me to pause.

In Revelation 3:20 Jesus tells us, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock." Jesus is that close; at the door!! If we look at scripture and compare it to the times in which we live, we can't deny that we are in the last days. Many prophecy scholars believe that every prophecy in scripture with regard to the second coming of Christ has been fulfilled. We're only left with the main event. Jesus will split the eastern sky and in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, we will meet our Lord in the air (the rapture). (See Matthew 24: 27-31 and 1 Corinthians 15:52).

Jesus tells us that He is at the door when He's speaking to the Laodicean church in Revelation 3. A church that was neither hot nor cold, but lukewarm and the Lord was getting ready to "spit them out of His mouth". I don't like a cup of coffee if it's lukewarm or an iced tea that is not cold. I like my coffee hot and my iced tea cold. Otherwise I might want to spit it out as well.

The Lord's nearness should COMPEL us to stop being lukewarm and complacent. It should compel us to grow up. Time is running out. We need to be hot, on fire for Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit and ready to step out and do something. We should strengthen our resolve to grow in our faith and to bring the lost to Christ before it's too late. Proverbs 1:32 says that "the complacency of fools will destroy them". We should not be satisfied that WE know the Lord and that OUR lives are going along pretty well.

A woman who was interviewed after the London bombings said, "Positive thinking can avert these kinds of things". NO IT CAN'T! Nothing can avert anything except the life changing gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let us all ask the Lord this week to draw us closer to Him, beg Him for His nearness in your life. Give Him all of You to use as He pleases. Don't ask these things for your own personal blessings but ask to be used by Him, for His purposes. Open up your spirit to the Holy Spirit and allow Him free reign in your life. I dare you to pray that kind of prayer and mean it! The answers are amazing, if you really mean it.

It's up to you. Jesus is good. He won't force you, but I, in love, warn you to "stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near". (Luke 21:28)

Until next week,

Donna Schultz
Savemom@aol.com



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