Imminency

Revelation 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming quickly." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

    I've read the end of the Book. Sometimes it seems that no one else has. Since creating this web site in January of 2001, I have met a lot of people and given away a lot of bookmarks. When I meet individual people it seems that they find this ministry novel. No one that I have met has the same urgency in proclaiming the Gospel that I feel in my heart. Three exceptions are people that I described in "glowing."

    Let's go to Matthew 25:1-13 (NASB):

        "Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. ²Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. ³For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, ⁴but the prudent took oil in flasks along with their lamps. ⁵Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. ⁶But at midnight there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' ⁷Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. ⁸The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' ⁹But the prudent answered, 'No, there will not be enough for us and you too; go instead to the dealers and buy some for yourselves.' ¹⁰And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him  to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. ¹¹Later the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.' ¹²But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I don not know you.' ¹³Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour."

    In verse 5, ". . . they all got drowsy and began to sleep." Is this the attitude of the church or its congregation today? I think so. Jesus hasn't come back yet. No one knows when He will return. It's been a LONG time, and people just don't "believe" that it's anytime soon. Some will even say that they expected Him to come decades ago, and He never came. It won't be anytime soon. . . but isn't that the point of this passage? How can I, as an individual, motivate you to believe that He can come TODAY? I can't write how all of the prophecies have been fulfilled, even though they have, as that would take another web site!

    God knows that we need excited evangelists in this world. I'd like to meet some. . . with the end of the Billy Graham "era," it seems that no one else is taking his place. I've heard that no one in this day and age could fill a stadium for an evangelistic meeting any more. Probably that's because few, if any, people today are as famous for their evangelism as Billy Graham was.

    We need a new revival of evangelistic fervor, as I truly believe that the time for His return is imminent. The fig tree in the following passage is the nation of Israel, according to prophecy experts. . .

    Matthew 24:32-35 (NASB):

        "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; ³³so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. ³⁴Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. ³⁵Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away."

    If we are to take this prophecy literally, which I do, the fig tree was planted either in 1948 or 1967; depending on the city of Jerusalem. Either way, we are living in the generation that this refers to. How many people care? Where is the urgency to share the Gospel? Is this a fulfillment of the Matt. 25:5 prophecy above?

    I pray that this short essay will motivate you to share the Gospel with someone you love. Or, better yet, with someone you don't even know. Even in the USA, where the outside world considers this to be a "Christian nation," so many of our citizens have never heard the clear Gospel message. We need a different type of bridge that would motivate them to ask questions and to lead them to Christ. Of course I have more ideas, but no one seems interested. . . that's probably the motivation for me to write this page in the first place.

    Jesus is coming. He return is imminent - how can people know that?

    If you agree and would like to talk more about this, please send me a message on the feedback form.

    Please see the following web site for more information about the doctrine of imminency: http://www.raptureready.com/rr-imminency.html