CHRISTMAS TRAVELERS

Waiting for the Messiah is an activity in which every genuine disciple of Jesus should be engaged. Waiting involves several different components. One must search and examine the Scriptures diligently, including all related prophecies, in order to determine the approximate time of his return. Knowing the approximate timing would enable one to be as prepared as possible. It is a fallacy to believe that everyone has the stamina to remain in a perpetual state of heightened preparedness. Eventually fatigue will set in, perhaps just at the time that he is about to return. While remaining prepared is critical, it is even more critical that we have an approximation of the timing of his return in order to ensure that the state of heightened preparedness is appropriately timed.

When searching the Scriptures, it also is important that we determine what if any implements of preparedness are essential. In the parable of the ten virgins, one sees that the intensity of their light determined who entered the kingdom and who did not. Light is received from the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. It is not enough to rely on hearsay on the issue of whether or not one has the indwelling Holy Spirit. Now that many people are able to see into the spirit realm, ask to see the proof. If there is no visible spiritual light in your solar plexus, then you do not have the indwelling Holy Spirit. If you have the indwelling Holy Spirit, proceed to fan the gift into flames until the light permeates your entire body. Dogged adherence to spiritual law is the best methodology for doing so. Ultimately, we should thirst for the light of the Holy Spirit of God, instead of adhering to doctrinal principles that may prove to be inaccurate. 

If you are traveling and your life or livelihood depends on your arriving at a certain destination, you are likely to do everything possible in order to arrive. Irrespective of how many wrong turns you take, or the number of times you become lost along the way, you will seek every means necessary to ensuring that you arrive safely. The argument that some theologians and "experts" have put forth is that there have been many false predictions of the timing of Christ's return so we should stop trying to interpret the prophecies. If that is your position on the issue, I urge you to rethink the logic. Your life, your access into the kingdom of God, and perhaps the life of others who depend on you, is contingent on your knowing, at the very least, the year and month of his return. It is because Noah was listening to God that he spent 120 years building an arc (Genesis 6:3), and it also is because he was listening that he knew seven days prior to the flood that it was time to enter the arc (Genesis 7:1-5). Similarly, those in the light should know the timing of Christ's return (1 Thessalonians 5:1-9).

The biblical prophecies that proclaim Christ's impending return all point to the identical year and time frame. They are an infallible roadmap through the past one hundred years of history leading up to the present. If a roadmap through unknown territory suggests that you should take a "left" turn, few travelers would deliberately continue to drive straight ahead, and fewer still would deliberately take a right turn. The prophecies suggest that it is time to prepare, and time to repent of our many violations of spiritual law, as per the instructions delineated in part in Revelation 2 and 3. Let those who have ears to hear take heed.