By Jerry D. Ousley
“I can’t wait until Friday!” exclaimed our infant son.
We had planned a trip with the church youth group to Kings Island, a place which quickly become a favorite of both our kids. Regardless how often we went, they were always eager to go.
We all make plans; plans that we look forward to and sometimes plans we aren’t so eager to fulfill.
For instance, we don’t always look forward to a doctor visit we have planned. Perhaps it is going to include an injection and we don’t like shots. Or maybe we are dreading the news that might result from a medical consultation. All plans are not pleasant plans.
The “Day of the Lord” is a phrase found 26 times in the New King James Version of the Bible. In the Old Testament, it is never spoken of in a positive way for man. While there were other minor instances of the use of this phrase, in most cases it referred to the day when God would exact His judgment and wrath upon the Nation of Israel, and particularly the division of Judah.
Because of their disobedience in following God, they were promised a time of great distress that culminated in the captivity of their nation as a punishment for their idolatry and refusal to comply with the Law of God. You can read about its fulfillment in 2 Kings 25. Many lost their lives, but those whom God wanted to preserve were carried off to Babylon until the prophesied 70 years were fulfilled.
In the New Testament, there are four instances that speak about “The Day of The Lord.” You can find them in 1 Corinthians 5:5, 2 Corinthians 1:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:2 and 2 Peter 3:10.
These all speak of a coming day when God will finally, once and for all, pour His wrath out upon man for his continual disobedience. That day will come in the days of the book of Revelation. It is a day in which, thankfully, Christians will be spared. We will be removed from this planet before God’s wrath is poured out.
Movies have been made in attempt to depict that day. After reading and studying the book of Revelation, in my opinion, none have been made which adequately show how awful and terrible things will be in that day.
I know that the world is rapidly approaching that time. All you have to do to know it is to read what the Bible speaks about the later days. If we aren’t living in those days, then I can’t even comprehend what it would be like. Our days greatly reflect what the Bible predicts. It is going to happen.
I strongly want to warn you of that day. If we are not ready, it will come upon us as a day of total destruction. But there is a way of escape, and it comes as a third “Day of the Lord.” That is a day in which we can make certain that we are safe from the final “Day.”
That day can happen today. That day is the day that we say “yes” to the gospel – the Good News that tells us that we can be free from the curse of that awful day.
Paul wrote in Romans 10:8-13, “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.’”
That will be a wonderful day of the Lord! It is a personal day for each of us. On the day that you confess Jesus Christ He forgives all sin - all you may have done that is sin and not like God. All the wrong you have done to others. All the wrong in your life. It will be forgiven and it will become a day in which you are restored to God, in right standing with Him and a day of Good News!
There are those who may try to tell you that only those who have been pre-picked will be saved. According to what we just read, the Lord is rich to “all who call upon him.” And, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” That means you and me. We may be small in this world. We may not be popular. We may not carry much influence. But God loves each of us the same. If you decide to call upon Him, no matter your background, regardless where you are from, despite all you may have done against God in your life, you are included in that “whoever.”
So, what about it? Are you ready for your personal Day of the Lord? If you are, it will guarantee your safety in that great coming “Day of the Lord.”
—————
Jerry D. Ousley is the author of “Soul Challenge”, “Soul Journey”, “Ordeal”, “The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional” and his first novel “The Shoe Tree.” Newer books include “Finality” and “Dividing God’s Church.”
“I can’t wait until Friday!” exclaimed our infant son.
We had planned a trip with the church youth group to Kings Island, a place which quickly become a favorite of both our kids. Regardless how often we went, they were always eager to go.
We all make plans; plans that we look forward to and sometimes plans we aren’t so eager to fulfill.
For instance, we don’t always look forward to a doctor visit we have planned. Perhaps it is going to include an injection and we don’t like shots. Or maybe we are dreading the news that might result from a medical consultation. All plans are not pleasant plans.
The “Day of the Lord” is a phrase found 26 times in the New King James Version of the Bible. In the Old Testament, it is never spoken of in a positive way for man. While there were other minor instances of the use of this phrase, in most cases it referred to the day when God would exact His judgment and wrath upon the Nation of Israel, and particularly the division of Judah.
Because of their disobedience in following God, they were promised a time of great distress that culminated in the captivity of their nation as a punishment for their idolatry and refusal to comply with the Law of God. You can read about its fulfillment in 2 Kings 25. Many lost their lives, but those whom God wanted to preserve were carried off to Babylon until the prophesied 70 years were fulfilled.
In the New Testament, there are four instances that speak about “The Day of The Lord.” You can find them in 1 Corinthians 5:5, 2 Corinthians 1:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:2 and 2 Peter 3:10.
These all speak of a coming day when God will finally, once and for all, pour His wrath out upon man for his continual disobedience. That day will come in the days of the book of Revelation. It is a day in which, thankfully, Christians will be spared. We will be removed from this planet before God’s wrath is poured out.
Movies have been made in attempt to depict that day. After reading and studying the book of Revelation, in my opinion, none have been made which adequately show how awful and terrible things will be in that day.
I know that the world is rapidly approaching that time. All you have to do to know it is to read what the Bible speaks about the later days. If we aren’t living in those days, then I can’t even comprehend what it would be like. Our days greatly reflect what the Bible predicts. It is going to happen.
I strongly want to warn you of that day. If we are not ready, it will come upon us as a day of total destruction. But there is a way of escape, and it comes as a third “Day of the Lord.” That is a day in which we can make certain that we are safe from the final “Day.”
That day can happen today. That day is the day that we say “yes” to the gospel – the Good News that tells us that we can be free from the curse of that awful day.
Paul wrote in Romans 10:8-13, “But what does it say? ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For ‘whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.’”
That will be a wonderful day of the Lord! It is a personal day for each of us. On the day that you confess Jesus Christ He forgives all sin - all you may have done that is sin and not like God. All the wrong you have done to others. All the wrong in your life. It will be forgiven and it will become a day in which you are restored to God, in right standing with Him and a day of Good News!
There are those who may try to tell you that only those who have been pre-picked will be saved. According to what we just read, the Lord is rich to “all who call upon him.” And, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” That means you and me. We may be small in this world. We may not be popular. We may not carry much influence. But God loves each of us the same. If you decide to call upon Him, no matter your background, regardless where you are from, despite all you may have done against God in your life, you are included in that “whoever.”
So, what about it? Are you ready for your personal Day of the Lord? If you are, it will guarantee your safety in that great coming “Day of the Lord.”
—————
Jerry D. Ousley is the author of “Soul Challenge”, “Soul Journey”, “Ordeal”, “The Spirit Bread Daily Devotional” and his first novel “The Shoe Tree.” Newer books include “Finality” and “Dividing God’s Church.”
