Christ Return Is Closer Than You Think

"Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand." 

Joel 2:1

In today’s study we have a word of warning and a word of victory solely deriving from where you stand as a person of this world or a person of Christ… Through the message of warning, we find the directive to “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion,” this call to the priest was to let the people know of the divine judgment that is to come… There are so many people who we encounter in our daily lives that do not know Christ… Please come to the realization today and understand that there is a difference between not knowing Him and rejecting Him; a lot of times we meet people who have never had Christ shared with them, we engage with people daily that don’t know what Christ has done for us and as a child of God the great commission commands us, “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”We are called to bear witness of Christ and let our light shine before men… It is our divine assignment to let people know of the joy we have which was not given of this world but made obtainable by the nail-scarred hands of Christ… 

The bible declares that “Faith cometh by hearing…” People cannot believe in something that they have never heard of; this is why the bible also declares “and how can they hear without a preacher…”You have a faith that was ignited in you to keep you going through this dark and dreary world; however, you also have a measure of faith that was distinctly deposited in you to be poured out into the lives of those you encounter… The world has a standard of living that we conform to from birth; however, as a child of God it is up to us to capture what Paul has told us in his letter to the Church of Rome and “be transformed…” Your life in Christ is altered from your life in this world and it is now your time to “sound the alarm”and alter the lives of others… You have a message of warning to deliver, this isn’t about saving a soul, but opening the door for them to know that the way they live now can be changed and transformed if they choose to follow Christ… Those who don’t know Christ, those who reject Christ need to know that He will return and this alone should cause “all the inhabitants of the land to tremble…” The second message I see from this passage is a message of victory to all those who have stood the test and fought the good fight… You may not know when or even how, but you can rest assured as a child of God that your latter will be greater than your former and the Lord will show up and show out… The message we have for our devotion today is a message of proclaiming victory if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior… This isn’t a proclamation based on reaching the mountain top; it is a proclamation declaring to the world that we are on a step hill but we are confident in knowing that we will reach the top and all those who opposed our mission will be in awe of our accomplishment in Christ… 

We are not assured to see the fruits of our labor here on earth; however, we are assured that “the Lord cometh” and He will have the rewards for all with Him… Despite what you have faced or the challenges you have gone through, you can claim victory in the midst of your trials and tribulations. Just the assurance that Christ will return is enough to shout victory… In having faith that He will return, you have faith that your work is not in vain, you have faith that the tears you have sown in despair will water the seed of abundance for your future… The word of God declares in Psalms 126, verse 5 that “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.” In Christ, you are guaranteed victory… It may not be manifested in the way you desired or in your lifetime on this earth, but you can find joy in knowing that it will manifest… Instead of wailing through your current circumstance, you can sing a song of praise, you can alter the atmosphere in your household, on your job and in your family because you know that God doesn’t make mistakes “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Today, sound the alarm when you encounter a wayward soul, sound the alarm when you entertain a guest that doesn’t know Christ; however, if you are going through you can also open your mouth in the midst of your situation, hardship or despair and “Blow the trumpet” knowing that this too shall pass and the only things that are certain in this life are that we shall die and Christ shall take His children home to glory…

ALL FOR HIS GLORY!