When I was a child, I accepted Christ as my Savior. I was in the 3rd grade.
Several years later, I became totally preoccupied with His second coming. I was more fearful of it than anything else. (We can discuss this. There’s no need to be fearful of His 2ND coming if you belong to Him.)
But I remember being at a pep-rally in the 7Th grade and noticed a line that stretched across the width of the gym wall. What I’m getting ready to share is profound – profound for a 7Th grader to have such a thought. Now that I’m an adult, I know that it was a God thought – not a Tara thought. And for such a time as this, He’s allowed me to remember in order to share with you.
On that day, in the West Cary Jr. High gym at a pep rally, I saw the line as God’s calendar for mankind. The line had a beginning point and an ending point. Out of no where, I began to ponder where we were (on God’s calendar) in that line. As I was standing on the bleachers completely dazed from my current reality of a loud gym filled with cheerleaders and football players, I felt quite sure we were passed the half-way point of His calendar. But how close were we to reaching the end point? I was not sure, but I just had a knowing that we were closer to the end point than to the beginning point. From that day on, I no longer felt fear of His second coming.
The Bible says, no one knows the day, the hour, or the year Jesus will return.
But the Bible does say, “As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage… they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away.” (Matthew 24:37-39 italics mine)
The flood came as a total surprise to the people surrounding Noah. Yet God had provided for them a man who was preaching repentance and building an enormous boat – surely the object of ridicule since it had never rained. (Makes me think of people today who live out their faith – the media, celebrity, politicians, etc. ridicule them and shame them mercilessly.)
Yet don’t miss what it says in Genesis regarding the great flood. It fell on an actual calendar date. “In the 600th year of Noah’s life, on the 17th day of the 2nd month – on that day, all the springs of the great deep burst forth and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.” (Gen. 7:11)
Take note of the specifics concerning this day. It was an actual day on the calendar. Just as there was an actual calendar date for the judgement of the flood, there is an actual calendar date for Jesus’ next coming.
On Monday, we’ll talk about what the people were doing prior to the flood and how it is relevant to what people are doing today. Is there anything wrong with what they were doing? You’ll have to wait until Monday!
But in the meantime, there’s no need to fear His second coming IF YOU KNOW HIM. Do you know Jesus personally? He wants you to know Him!
Consider this short 7 week study, Intimacy with God as we enter into this new season. Pull together some friends to do it with you. I have a free download of the first week on my website. It’s a small taste of what the study is like. Go to: www.tarafurman.com . Not to mention, we’ve got a new website! Take a look at it! We also have beautiful redesigned materials geared to helping you grow spiritually and in knowing God better.
I wholeheartedly believe in these tools. Not only because it’s the path He led me on in getting to KNOW Him personally and practically, but because of the difference they’ve made in the lives of those who have used them. When we KNOW God, we don’t have to fear His second coming or the shaking of the world around us.
Last note: In light of yesterday’s post, did anyone notice what the leaders of France and Germany proposed on Wednesday? For Europe to come under ONE economic government. It was rejected. But all the same, interesting…
Have a great weekend:)