The Lord is bringing right before our eyes in our daily current news and events the realization of His Word.

For example, I Thessalonians 5:1-3, 6 says, “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. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.”

Then there is 2 Peter 3:10 that says, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which, the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

The verses above and many others in the Bible tells us that we should know perfectly well that the day of the Lord is fast approaching and it will come as a thief in the night. The day of the Lord represents the time when God will judge the world and punish the nations. That is the time when God will no longer have compassion and patience with those who have not accepted His Son as their Lord and Savior. That is the time when God will no longer be a God of mercy but He will be a God of vengeance and wrath.

The Bible declares over and over the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night which means it will come when we are not expecting it to come. But if you are a child of the Most High God, that day should not come to you as a surprise or un-expectantly. Revelations 3:16 and 16:15 warns every believer not to be caught napping when that day comes and we should live with a constant attitude of watching and waiting for that day.

The fast approaching Day of the Lord should not come as a surprise to any believer because God, through His Word, many indications that such a day is coming. God has also given us many examples of such a day.

God told Lot to warn his sons-in-law of the coming destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah but they would not listen to him and they perished. God warned the people during Noah’s day that a flood was coming to destroy the world but they would not listen and except of Noah’s family, they all perished. Jesus warned his generation Jerusalem would be destroyed but many did not heed to His warning and many were destroyed along with Jerusalem.

People during the days mentioned above were going about their normal daily routines and activities without considering that judgment was right around the corner, despite the warnings given to them by God. They never considered judgment because they were asleep to what thus saith the Lord.

Today the most serious question for every believer and every church is, “Are you asleep!!! Are you asleep to what the Lord is saying to us in a time such as this???”

Everything that is happening in our world today was first declared, announced and predicted by the Word of God. All of the signs of the Lord’s coming are fulfilled and as a result, the day of the Lord is fast approaching.

If you are watching Fox News, or CNN or MSNBC, just to keep up with what President Trump is doing instead of watching to see what God is doing, you are asleep. If you are going about your daily routine and activities without acknowledging God in all that you do, then you are asleep. If your house or home is not doing what Joshua said, when he said to the Jews, “Choose you this day, who you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord,” then your entire house or home is asleep. If you are more connected to your denomination, local church or pastor than you are connected to Jesus Christ, then you are definitely sleep!!!

Please wake up and stay awake. Begin now to live everyday expecting that today is the day the Lord is coming for me. Live everyday as if that day is the day of the Lord. And always remember, there is a big difference between being ready to go to heaven and being ready to meet the Lord. That difference will be explained in my next article, but in the meantime, PLEASE STAY AWAKE!!!

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By Gilbert Owens

Guest columnist

Gilbert Owens is a native of Roseboro and a guest columnist for The Sampson Independent.