The Urgency of the Times

As a young man, I was searching for the Lord because I had a pressing feeling that we are living in the last days and I wanted to be sure I had salvation. I travelled church to church to church, denomination to denomination to denomination. Though I kept it to myself, I was silently appalled at the social-club atmosphere of the American churches. The casual, comfortable apathetic existence of Christians left me feeling alone. Did anyone else believe Jesus is coming soon? If you asked them, they would say "Yes, I believe that," and nod their head in an ever casual way. I felt like they believed it in a philosophical, theoretical way. People are emotional creatures, though they hide it well. When a person's favorite ball team scores a goal or touchdown they lose their composure and inhibitions and their true passion leaks out. You picture the reaction you would have if you won the lottery; you know you wouldn't be composed and dignified. If a Christian truly believed they were on their way to HELL for all eternity and had been saved from it, you wouldn't be able to stop their worship, and if Christians really believed that Jesus was coming back soon they would act like it: They wouldn't balk at Godly living, they wouldn't schedule baptisms for next week (just in case the Lord comes in the next 20 minutes), they would be quit to repent, slow to wrath and would want to make sure their salvation. Instead, too many are amassing worldly possessions, eating, drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, fighting with their brethren and loving pleasure more than loving God. Is it any wonder that missionaries are coming to America from third-world countries; we are increased with goods but in abject spiritual poverty. Even our churches have turned into businesses. In the words of John the Baptist "Repent . . . prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." Jesus is coming soon, repent that you may rejoice at his coming.