The Earth Will Burn!

Are We Actually Listening To God?

Look around us. The world is filled with turmoil. We see wars, violence, fires, corruption, lawlessness, and people turning away from the God who created them. Nations rise against nations. Leaders make decisions that affect millions of lives. People argue over what is right and wrong, while the standards of God are pushed aside in favor of what people want to believe.

Everywhere we look, we hear people explaining the world's problems through politics, economics, science, and human behavior. These things may explain some of what is happening, but there is a question we must not overlook.

What has God said?

Have we listened to His warnings? Have we taken seriously what He has told us about the earth, the wickedness of humanity, the coming judgment, and the future He has promised?

This teaching is not an attempt to declare that every fire, war, riot, or natural disaster is a particular fulfillment of prophecy. We must not claim knowledge God has not given us. But neither should we ignore what He has plainly spoken in His Word.

God has warned humanity that judgment is coming. He has told us that the earth and its works will be burned. He has shown us, throughout Scripture, that His patience must never be mistaken for permission to continue in wickedness.

And He has told us that a day is coming when the proud and the wicked will face His judgment.

The question is not whether God has warned us. The question is whether we are listening.

God Said The Earth And Its Works Will Be Burned

Let us begin with what God has actually said.

Peter wrote about the coming day of the Lord and the destruction that will take place. This is not merely a warning about the temporary troubles of humanity. It is a warning concerning the future of the heavens and the earth.

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”, 2 Peter 3:10

Read those words carefully. The earth and the works that are in it shall be burned up.

Peter did not say that humanity would eventually solve all its problems and establish a perfect world through its own efforts. He did not say that the earth would continue forever in its present condition. He told us that the day of the Lord is coming and that the earth and its works will be burned.

That is a serious warning!

People may laugh at the idea of coming judgment. They may believe that the world will continue just as it always has. They may put their confidence in governments, technology, money, education, or human progress. But none of those things can cancel what God has spoken.

Peter continued by asking what kind of people we ought to be in light of these things.

“Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness,”, 2 Peter 3:11

The knowledge of coming judgment is not given to satisfy curiosity alone. It calls us to examine our lives before God.

If God has told us that the present heavens and earth will pass away, then we should not build our lives as though this present world and everything in it were permanent. We should not devote ourselves to earthly things while neglecting the One who created them.

Peter then directs our attention to God's promise.

“Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”, 2 Peter 3:13

God's Word gives us both a warning and a promise. Judgment is coming, but God has also promised a future in which righteousness dwells.

We must take both seriously.

The Earth Belongs To God, Not To Humanity

One reason people disregard God's warnings is that they behave as though the earth belongs to them and they have the final authority over it.

But who created the earth? Who established its foundations? Who gave humanity life? Who has the right to determine the purpose of His creation?

The answer is God. “The earth is the LORD'S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”, Psalm 24:1

The earth belongs to the LORD. Everything in it belongs to Him. Humanity lives upon the earth by His provision, not by its own authority.

God gave mankind responsibility over His creation. That responsibility was never permission to reject the Creator or to declare ourselves the final judges of right and wrong.

When people use what God has made while refusing to acknowledge Him, they have forgotten the One to whom they are accountable.

Paul explained that creation itself testifies to the existence and power of God. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:”, Romans 1:20

God has not left humanity without a witness. The things He has made testify to His power.

Yet people can look at creation and refuse to honor the Creator. They can enjoy His provision while rejecting His authority. They can use the life He has given them to oppose the very God who gave it.

That is not wisdom. It is rebellion.

The earth belongs to God, and He has the right to determine its future. Humanity does not have the authority to overrule His Word.

God Warned That Human Rebellion Would Bring Judgment

From the beginning, God has made it clear that disobedience has consequences.

In the Garden of Eden, God gave Adam a command concerning the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. He also told Adam what would happen if he disobeyed.

“And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”, Genesis 2:16-17

God did not hide the consequence. He gave a command and made the consequence known.

Adam and Eve chose to disobey. Their choice did not change what God had said. Their decision brought consequences into their lives and into the world in which they lived.

This principle runs throughout Scripture. God tells people what He requires. He warns them about the consequences of rebellion. He calls them to turn back to Him.

But people often want the blessings of God without the obedience He requires. They want God to protect them while they disregard His instructions. They want His promises while rejecting His authority.

We cannot rewrite God's Word to suit our desires.

God is the Creator. He is the One who establishes what is right and wrong. We do not have the authority to make rebellion acceptable simply because a great number of people participate in it.

The fact that sin becomes common does not make it righteous. The fact that people approve of something does not mean God approves of it.

God's standard does not change because the world changes its mind.

God's Patience Must Not Be Mistaken For Weakness

Some people believe that because judgment has not yet come, it will never come. Others assume that God must approve of what He has allowed to continue.

But Scripture warns us against that very mistake.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”, 2 Peter 3:9

God's patience has a purpose. He gives people time to repent and turn to Him.

His patience is not proof that His warnings are empty. It is not permission to continue in disobedience. It is an opportunity to change our ways before the judgment He has promised.

Paul gave a similar warning.

“Or despise you the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?”, Romans 2:4

God's goodness should lead us to repentance, not encourage us to presume upon His patience.

We must never reason that because God has not yet judged a particular action, He must approve of it. Nor should we assume that the absence of immediate consequences means there will never be consequences.

God's timing is His own. He has not appointed us to decide when His judgment must occur. He has, however, given us His Word so that we can know what He has promised and respond accordingly.

The time to repent is while the opportunity remains.

The Flood Was A Real Judgment, Not An Empty Threat

God has already demonstrated in history that He will judge wickedness.

In the days of Noah, humanity had become exceedingly corrupt. God saw the wickedness of mankind and declared that judgment would come.

“And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”, Genesis 6:5

God did not overlook what was happening. He did not declare that wickedness was acceptable because everyone was doing it. He saw the condition of humanity and responded according to His judgment.

God told Noah to build an ark. Noah obeyed God's instructions, and the ark became the means by which Noah and his household were preserved through the Flood.

“And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;”, 2 Peter 2:5

Peter referred to the Flood as a real judgment upon the ungodly world.

The Flood was not an empty threat. God said what He would do, and He did it.

Jesus also referred to the days of Noah when speaking about His coming.

“But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”, Matthew 24:37

Jesus explained that people were carrying on with ordinary life until the Flood came and took them away. They did not understand what was coming until judgment arrived.

“And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”, Matthew 24:39

People can become so occupied with everyday life that they give no serious thought to God's warnings. They work, eat, marry, buy, sell, and make their plans, assuming that tomorrow will be just like today.

But our plans cannot prevent what God has declared.

The account of Noah reminds us that God knows the difference between the righteous and the wicked. It also reminds us that the opportunity to respond to His warning must not be taken for granted.

God Does Not Accept Every “god” Or Every Form Of Worship

Our world often promotes the idea that all beliefs are equally true and that every form of worship must be acceptable to God.

But does that agree with what God has said? The first commandment makes God's position clear.

“You shall have no other gods before me.”, Exodus 20:3

God did not tell Israel to worship Him alongside every other god people might choose. He commanded His people to recognize Him alone as God.

Moses declared:

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:”, Deuteronomy 6:4

God's people were commanded to love Him and remain faithful to Him. They were not free to replace His instructions with the religious practices of surrounding nations.

When Israel turned to other gods, God sent prophets to warn them. He called them to abandon their rebellion and return to Him.

The same principle must be taken seriously today. We cannot decide that God accepts every religious belief simply because people sincerely hold those beliefs.

Sincerity does not make something true. A person can sincerely believe something that is contrary to God's Word.

Jesus made a clear statement about the way to the Father.

“Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.”, John 14:6

That is what Jesus said. We have no authority to change His words because the world would prefer a different answer.

God's truth does not become false because people reject it, and falsehood does not become truth because people embrace it.

We must examine what we believe in light of what God has actually spoken.

Israel's History Shows The Consequences Of Turning Away

God did not leave Israel without instruction. He gave the nation His commandments, His covenant, and His prophets. Again and again, He warned the people when they turned away from Him.

Through Moses, God set before Israel the consequences of obedience and disobedience.

“See, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil;”, Deuteronomy 30:15

God called His people to choose life by loving Him, walking in His ways, and keeping His commandments.

But Israel repeatedly turned away. The people followed other gods, ignored God's instructions, and refused to listen to the prophets He sent.

God's warnings were not given because He lacked concern for His people. He warned them because their choices mattered.

Through Jeremiah, God explained that He had repeatedly sent His servants to warn the people.

“Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them:”, Jeremiah 7:25

Yet the people did not listen.

Jerusalem eventually fell to Babylon, and many of the people of Judah were taken into captivity. The destruction was not evidence that God's Word had failed. It was a demonstration that His warnings had been ignored.

God had told His people what would happen if they persisted in rebellion.

Israel's history is a record of God's faithfulness to His Word, including His warnings of judgment. His people could not escape the consequences of disobedience merely because they had once received His blessings.

We should learn from that history rather than assume that God's patience means He will never act.

God Has Warned The Rulers Of The Nations

Kings, presidents, rulers, and other authorities may possess tremendous power in the eyes of humanity. They can make laws, command armies, control resources, and influence the lives of millions.

But none of them stands above God.

Psalm 2 describes the nations and their rulers setting themselves against the LORD and His anointed.

“Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.”, Psalm 2:1-3

The rulers of the earth may imagine that they can cast off God's authority. They may believe that their power gives them the right to determine their own standards of righteousness.

But God is not intimidated by earthly power.

The psalm continues with a warning to the rulers.

“Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.”, Psalm 2:10-12

God calls the rulers of the earth to be wise and to receive instruction. Their authority does not release them from accountability to Him.

The same is true of every person. No one becomes exempt from God's judgment through wealth, influence, popularity, political office, or human achievement.

A ruler may escape the judgment of a human court, but that does not mean he can escape the judgment of God.

Human authority has limits. God's authority does not.

When A Nation Calls Evil Good, It Is Rejecting God's Standard

God has warned about the danger of reversing the distinction between good and evil.

“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”, Isaiah 5:20

Consider what God is saying.

There are people who call evil good. There are people who call good evil. They reverse the meaning of what is right and what is wrong, and then expect others to accept their judgments.

This happens when people place their own opinions above God's Word.

A nation may pass a law permitting something, but passing a law does not make that thing righteous before God. A majority may approve of a practice, but majority approval does not establish God's standard.

People may ridicule those who stand for biblical truth. They may accuse them of being wrong because they refuse to accept the world's changing definitions of right and wrong.

But the question remains: What has God said?

We cannot confuse what is legal with what is righteous. We must not confuse what is popular with what is true.

This does not give us permission to hate people or appoint ourselves as their judges. It does mean that we must be willing to call attention to what God has said, even when His Word is unpopular.

God's warning in Isaiah is serious. When people deliberately reverse good and evil, they are not merely changing their vocabulary. They are rejecting the standard by which God tells humanity to live.

Jesus Warned That Lawlessness Would Increase

Jesus spoke about the conditions that would exist before the end.

He warned His disciples that deception, conflict, and lawlessness would increase. He did not tell them that every troubling event would establish a date for His return. He told them to be watchful and not to be deceived.

“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”, Matthew 24:12

Lawlessness affects more than outward behavior. It can harden people's hearts. When wickedness becomes common, people can grow accustomed to what once would have shocked them. Compassion can diminish. Truth can be rejected. People can begin to treat wrongdoing as normal.

Jesus also warned that false prophets would arise and deceive many.

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.”, Matthew 24:24

We must take that warning seriously. Not everyone who speaks religious words speaks the truth of God. Not everyone who claims to represent Him is faithful to His Word.

We are not instructed to believe every claim simply because it sounds spiritual. We must examine what is taught and compare it with Scripture.

Jesus also said:

“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”, Matthew 24:35

Human opinions change. Political movements rise and fall. The standards of society change from one generation to another.

But Jesus said His words would not pass away.

We should therefore pay attention to what He said rather than allow the world's changing opinions to determine what we believe.

Jesus Is The Way, The Truth, And The Life

The warning of judgment must be understood alongside God's provision for salvation. God has not merely told humanity what is wrong. He has made known His purpose and His provision through Jesus Christ.

 

Jesus said: “Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.”, John 14:6

These are the words of Jesus. He identified Himself as the way to the Father.

The apostles proclaimed the same truth.

“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”, Acts 4:12

God's warning about judgment is not an invitation to despair. It is a reason to take His provision seriously.

The good news of Jesus Christ must not be separated from the truth about sin, repentance, and accountability to God. Nor should the warning of judgment be used to obscure the hope God has provided.

Jesus gave His life for us. God raised Him from the dead, and the apostles proclaimed Him as Lord and Christ.

Paul wrote: “That if you shall confess (acclaim boldly) with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.”, Romans 10:9

We cannot earn our salvation by human accomplishments or by pretending that our sins do not matter. We must respond to what God has made known through His Son.

The coming judgment makes the message of salvation urgent. We must not tell people that they can safely ignore God today because they might choose Him tomorrow.

We do not know how much time any of us has been given.

Religion And Politics Cannot Save A Nation That Rejects God

People often place their hope in religious institutions, political leaders, laws, movements, and social reforms. These things may influence society, but none can take the place of God.

A nation cannot establish righteousness merely by using religious language. A person cannot be made right with God simply by belonging to a religious organization or participating in outward ceremonies.

God spoke plainly through the prophet Samuel:

“Has the LORD great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.”, 1 Samuel 15:22

Outward religious activity does not excuse disobedience.

The same principle applies to political leaders who speak about God while acting contrary to His instructions. Words alone do not establish faithfulness.

Jesus warned against honoring God with the lips while the heart is far from Him.

“This people draw near unto me with their mouth, and honour me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.”, Matthew 15:8

We must not confuse public expressions of religion with genuine obedience to God.

Nor can political power save humanity from the judgment God has declared. Laws can influence conduct, and leaders can affect the conditions in which people live, but no earthly government can forgive sin, raise the dead, or establish the promised new heavens and new earth.

Our ultimate hope must be placed in God and His promises, not in the assumption that human institutions can accomplish what only He has declared He will do.

The Day Of The Lord Will Come

Now we come to one of the clearest warnings in Scripture about the coming day of judgment.

The prophet Malachi spoke of a day that would burn like an oven. His words directly address the proud and the wicked, while also declaring God's promise to those who fear His name.

“For, behold, the day comes, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that comes shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.”, Malachi 4:1

Read that again.

God said the day is coming. He said it will burn like an oven. He said the proud and those who do wickedly will be like stubble, and He declared that the coming day will burn them up.

This is not a vague statement that wrongdoing will eventually become inconvenient. It is a direct warning of judgment from the LORD of hosts.

The proud may believe they are secure. The wicked may believe that their power, possessions, influence, or position will protect them. They may believe they can continue in rebellion without answering to their Creator.

But Malachi's words leave no room for the belief that human pride can defeat God's judgment.

The warning also brings a promise. God does not speak only of the fate of the wicked. He tells us what He has promised to those who fear His name.

“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.”, Malachi 4:2

Notice the contrast. The proud and wicked face the coming judgment, but those who fear God's name receive the promise of the Sun of righteousness arising with healing.

God's warning is serious, and His promise is just as real.

Malachi continues:

“And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the LORD of hosts.”, Malachi 4:3

God identifies the day as the time when He will do this. The judgment belongs to Him. It is not a task for human beings to carry out according to their own anger or judgment.

Malachi then calls the people to remember God's law and announces the coming of Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the LORD.

“Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.”, Malachi 4:4

And:

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:”, Malachi 4:5

The chapter closes with a statement about turning the hearts of the fathers and children.

“And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.”, Malachi 4:6

Malachi's message is not one we should brush aside. The chapter speaks of God's law, the coming day of the LORD, the judgment of the wicked, and the promise to those who fear His name.

Peter's warning agrees with this serious picture of the coming day.

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”, 2 Peter 3:10

Malachi speaks of a day that burns like an oven. Peter speaks of the earth and its works being burned up. Both passages require us to take God's warnings seriously.

We must not pretend that we know every detail of how every prophetic passage will be fulfilled. But we must not soften what God has plainly said, either.

The day of the Lord is coming. God has told us so.

No One Can Hide From The Judgment Of God

Human beings can hide things from one another. A person may conceal wrongdoing, deceive a neighbor, mislead a court, or persuade others to believe a false account.

But no one can conceal anything from God.

The writer of Hebrews declared:

“Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.”, Hebrews 4:13

God sees what people do, and He knows what they think. Human beings may be fooled by appearances, but God is not.

Paul also wrote that God will judge the secrets of humanity through Jesus Christ.

“In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.”, Romans 2:16

This should cause us to examine ourselves honestly before God.

We must not assume that because other people do not know what we have done, God does not know. We must not believe that because a person has escaped human accountability, he has escaped God's judgment.

Neither should we presume to know every person's final standing before God. That judgment belongs to Him.

Our responsibility is to hear His Word, obey what He has commanded, repent when we have sinned, and proclaim His truth faithfully.

God's judgment is not something humanity can manipulate or escape through deception. He knows the truth.

God Has Promised A New Heaven And A New Earth

The destruction of the present heavens and earth is not the end of God's promises.

Peter told us that we look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein righteousness dwells. The book of Revelation also declares God's promise concerning what is to come.

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”, Revelation 21:1

John then recorded the promise of God's presence with His people.

“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”, Revelation 21:3

And God promises an end to the sorrow and suffering of the former things.

“And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”, Revelation 21:4

What a promise!

The present world is filled with sorrow, death, pain, and the consequences of humanity's rebellion. But God has promised that the former things will pass away.

This is not a promise that humanity will bring about through political reform or technological progress. It is God's promise concerning what He will do.

We must not confuse our present world with the future God has promised. Nor should we become so attached to the things of this world that we neglect the things that matter eternally.

God's Word gives us a reason to look forward with hope while taking His warnings seriously.

What Must We Do While There Is Still Time?

If God has warned us about the coming day of the Lord, how should we respond?

Peter answered that question by directing believers toward holy living and godliness.

“Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” 2 Peter 3:14

We should not hear God's warning and then continue living as though it has no bearing on our lives.

We must examine what we believe. We must compare our beliefs and actions with God's Word. Where we have been wrong, we must be willing to repent. Where we have been deceived, we must turn to the truth.

Repentance is not merely feeling bad about something. It means turning away from sin and turning back to God.

The apostle Paul proclaimed that God commands people to repent.

“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men every where to repent:” Acts 17:30

God's command is not limited to one nation, one political party, one religious organization, or one group of people. All people are accountable to Him.

We must not tell ourselves that repentance can wait until a more convenient time. None of us has been promised tomorrow.

Jesus said:

“But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”, Matthew 6:33

Seeking God's kingdom and righteousness means that we place His authority above our own desires. We do not simply ask God to bless whatever we have already decided to do. We seek to understand His will and to walk in His ways.

We must also speak God's truth boldly. We do not have to invent prophetic dates, claim to know every hidden purpose of God, or pronounce final judgment upon individuals. We must proclaim what God has revealed, including His warnings and His promises.

The world needs to hear the truth of God's Word, not a version of it altered to make people comfortable with disobedience.

The Warning Is For You, Too

It is easy to read a teaching like this and immediately think of other people.

We may think of political leaders, corrupt officials, violent people, false teachers, or nations that openly reject God's authority.

But God's Word is not given merely so that we can identify the faults of others. It also calls each of us to examine our own lives.

We must ask ourselves whether we are listening to God. Are we believing what He has said? Are we obeying His instructions? Have we allowed the opinions of other people to become more important to us than His Word?

We cannot answer those questions merely by looking at what someone else is doing.

Paul wrote:

“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”, 2 Corinthians 13:5

Self-examination is not an invitation to live in fear. It is an opportunity to bring our lives before God honestly and make the corrections His Word requires.

We must not excuse our own disobedience while condemning the disobedience of others. We must not demand that others honor God's Word while refusing to honor it ourselves.

The warning is for every person who hears it.

God's patience gives us an opportunity to respond. His Word tells us what He requires. His promises give us hope, and His warnings tell us that we must not treat His instructions lightly.

Do Not Put Off The Day Of Your Repentance

The Bible repeatedly warns us not to presume upon the future.

We do not know how much time we have been given. We do not know when the day of the Lord will come. Jesus told His disciples to watch and be ready, not to set dates based on speculation.

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”, Matthew 24:42

Being ready means living in a way that takes God's Word seriously. It means refusing to treat repentance as something we can postpone indefinitely.

A person may say, “I will get right with God later.” Another may say, “I have plenty of time.” Still another may believe that because judgment has not yet come, there is no reason to be concerned.

But these are human assumptions, not promises from God.

James reminded his readers how uncertain human life is.

“Whereas you know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appears for a little time, and then vanishes away.”, James 4:14

We cannot control the future. We can, however, respond to God's Word today.

If we have sinned, we must repent. If we have rejected God's truth, we must turn back to it. If we have placed our trust in something that cannot save us, we must put our trust in God.

This is not a call to panic. It is a call to take God at His Word.

The coming day of the Lord is not something we should treat as an interesting subject for discussion while leaving our own lives unchanged.

God has warned us. His Word has been given. We must decide whether we will hear and obey.

The book of Revelation closes with the promise of Jesus' coming.

“He which testifies these things says, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.”, Revelation 22:20

May we be found faithful when He comes.

The warning has been given. The Word has been spoken. The King is coming.

What will you do with what God has told you?

Do not put off repentance. Do not dismiss His warnings because judgment has not yet come. Do not allow the opinions of the world to persuade you that God's Word no longer matters.

Where you have sinned, repent. Where you have been deceived, turn to the truth. Where you have refused to obey, obey Him now.

The day of the Lord is coming. And when it comes, there will be no more time to decide whether His Word was true. I suggest getting right with God, Accept and receive His Son, Jesus Christ, and clean up your act before it’s too late.

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Prayer:

Holy Father, I worship You, for You alone are God, the Creator of heaven and earth. You are righteous in all Your judgments, faithful in all Your ways, and Your Word stands forever. I praise Your holy name and give You the honor and glory that belong to You alone.

Father God, I come before You with a heart that desires to hear and obey Your Word. I do not want to be distracted by the troubles of this world or ignore the warnings You have given us. Keep me faithful to Your truth, and give me the courage to speak Your Word boldly, even when others refuse to hear it. Search my heart and show me anything that must change, so I may walk in obedience to You.

I lift up those who are suffering through war, fires, and destruction. I pray that people will turn to You in repentance and seek Your ways while there is still time. Help me remain steadfast in faith and faithful to Jesus Christ, looking forward to the day when Your promises are fulfilled and You bring forth the new heaven and the new earth.

I give You thanks, Holy Father, because Your purposes will stand, and Your kingdom will never end. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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Don't take my word for it. Like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, search the Scriptures daily to see whether these things are so. Open your Bible, study God's Word for yourself, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. Don't simply accept my conclusions. If what I've written agrees with Scripture, hold fast to it. If it doesn't, let God's Word be your final authority.

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Prayer:

Holy Father, I worship You, for You alone are God, the Creator of heaven and earth. You are righteous in all Your judgments, faithful in all Your ways, and Your Word stands forever. I praise Your holy name and give You the honor and glory that belong to You alone.

Father God, I come before You with a heart that desires to hear and obey Your Word. I do not want to be distracted by the troubles of this world or ignore the warnings You have given us. Keep me faithful to Your truth, and give me the courage to speak Your Word boldly, even when others refuse to hear it. Search my heart and show me anything that must change, so I may walk in obedience to You.

I lift up those who are suffering through war, fires, and destruction. I pray that people will turn to You in repentance and seek Your ways while there is still time. Help me remain steadfast in faith and faithful to Jesus Christ, looking forward to the day when Your promises are fulfilled and You bring forth the new heaven and the new earth.

I give You thanks, Holy Father, because Your purposes will stand, and Your kingdom will never end. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

✝️✝️✝️✝️✝️

Don't take my word for it. Like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, search the Scriptures daily to see whether these things are so. Open your Bible, study God's Word for yourself, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. Don't simply accept my conclusions. If what I've written agrees with Scripture, hold fast to it. If it doesn't, let God's Word be your final authority.

If you liked this message, please leave a positive comment. I would love to hear from you! You don't even have to register or sign in! Just click Comment at the bottom of any message. (comments are monitored only against spam)

© AMKCH 2026

image done by imagefree at my direction. If any of these people looks like you or someon

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