by David Brenneman
"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many. Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!” Matthew 27:50-54.
Right there at the end of the crucifixion did some get it, that some understood.
The global earthquake at the cry of its Creator astonishing millions of people. Some possibly ashamed at what they've been hurling at this Lord and Christ that they participated in crucifying.
Tombs were opened and people arose from the dead...no way possible to contain what had happened by God's enemy.
History is about to repeat itself.
Every place that I have worked where I had a workstation computer I have a document saved on the desktop for any to find.
It simply says "Where Am I?"
Jesus promised that there would be another day when at the Father’s bidding it would be time to return and bring home His Bride because all would be made ready. All who would rely on Jesus as their own personal Savior and Lord prior to a date set by His Father will have been accounted for.
There's a old hymn "When the Roll is Roll is Called Up Yonder". By James M. Black 1893.
When the trumpet of the Lord shall sound and time shall be no more,
And the morning breaks, eternal, bright and fair;
When the saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,
And the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.
On that bright and cloudless morning when the dead in Christ shall rise,
And the glory of his resurrection share;
When his chosen ones shall gather to their home beyond the skies,
And the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.
Let us labor for the Master from the dawn till setting sun;
Let us talk of all his wondrous love and care.
Then when all of life is over and our work on earth is done,
And the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder,
When the roll is called up yonder, I'll be there.
Will you be there or be here too stunned at what just happened all over the world that countless world leaders will lie about having occurred?
There's a day fixed by the Father’s own authority is what my Bible says that my Savior says.
In the book of Genesis we read that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.
Do you believe God?
Do you believe that your life was meant to be something oh so much more than your eyes can see?
I saw an interview with Denzel Washington. Here in his life he's been coming out in talking about his faith in Jesus Christ. Telling all that he wasn't placed here on Earth to be an actor but rather to be a witness of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done in his life.
It's been amazing that many people I remember seeing in acting or that supposed professional wrestling circuit have come to Christ and aren't ashamed of telling the world.
It's a wonderful occasion when you see Christ lived out after the battlefield of a game to see both sides coming together for public prayer.
Will you still resist the knocking at your heart to let Jesus in?
It's always the fool who thinks they have more time. That there's no hurry. My Dear Reader if those are your thoughts...consider that they're hardly original.
"Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up." 2 Peter 3:3-10.
Oh how shocked and blown away people were back then!
Hollywood could never grasp the magnitude of the world at large.
Lazarus was a preview of that day.
Only the power of God in Christ Jesus opened all those graves. Nobody could stop what was happening. Nobody realized the truth until it was too late...and many fell into deception because someone told them it was something else and they believed it.
Oh the horrors that some who were Jewish leaders must have experienced when people they knew who had recently died suddenly reappeared in their lives again. These people solemnly testifying to them that Jesus Christ is Lord and is the Son of God to these whitewashed tombs as Jesus called them.
Only then...at the end of the resurrection week did some people get it.
When Jesus returns again...and hopefully it's really soon...will you be leaving with Him or will you only then believe because of seeing the evidences of the Rapture of the Church?
Will you be like some who possibly cried out to Jesus when these similar events happened over 2,000 years ago? Begging for a second chance at life in Christ?
You see the key difference between then and now is those people and everyone else between Jesus raising from the dead and now is everyone has the chance to come to Christ for salvation.
When Jesus comes again...there's not going to be a Holy Week as happened the first time. There will be no build up and a climactic appearance.
The Bible says that there is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. We won't be going through the ravages of the judgments to come upon the Earth soon after Jesus comes for His Church.
Death and destruction is coming.
Read the book of Revelation. Billions will die several times in the ensuing 7 years. Billions will be pouring into Hell.
That's the future that Satan's hiding from as many as he can.
Salvation is free. Salvation in Christ Jesus writes your name in His blood in the book of life. Salvation now guarantees you won't be left behind. Salvation will give you a new life in Christ that begins the moment you ask Him to be the forgiver of your sins and the leader of your life.
"But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call on Him; for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:8-13.
Please don't hesitate or wait thinking there's more you want to do with your life.
Jesus said what would it gain you to get the world and yet forfeit your soul? What will you possibly give in exchange for your soul?
Please don't wait for an ending that you absolutely will not, by God's own guarantee, see coming.
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, He is going to return.
That's faster than the speed of light.
Sadly only at the end of this part of human history will people get it and cry out for Jesus to come back.
My prayer is that you not be one of those people.
All NASB 1995 and NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission. (C) Lockman Foundation.
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