The Day of the Lord

“For see, the day of the LORD is coming—the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger.  The land will be made desolate, and all the sinners destroyed with it.  The heavens will be black above them; the stars will give no light.  The sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will provide no light.  I the LORD, will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their sin.  I will crush the arrogance of the proud and humble the pride of the mighty.” Isaiah 13:9-11 (NLT) 

“Woe to you who long for the day of the LORD!  Why do you long for the day of the LORD?  That day will be darkness, not light.  It will be as though a man fled from a lion, only to meet a bear, as though he entered his house and rested his hand on the wall only to have a snake bite him.  Will not the day of the LORD be darkness, not light—pitch-dark, without a ray of brightness?”  Amos 5:18-20 NIV)

Have you ever heard someone say, “I just wish Jesus would come back!”  Maybe you’ve said it yourself or at least thought it.  In the book of Amos, God rebukes us for such thoughts or statements.  Although Christ’s return will bring an end to the things we despise about this godless world, what does it mean to those who do not know Jesus? They will be judged and sentenced to an eternity in hell. That day will bring unmatched grief and anguish to an already hurting world. I believe God wants us to stop thinking of ourselves and have compassion on those that face a perilous future.  The evidence that we are in the last days should give us a sense of urgency to reach as many as possible before it is too late.