Close of Probation Passes Unnoticed

But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 1 Thessalonians 5:1, 2.
The righteous and the wicked will still be living upon the earth in their mortal state—men will be planting and building, eating and drinking, all unconscious that the final, irrevocable decision has been pronounced in the sanctuary above. Before the flood, after Noah entered the ark, God shut him in, and shut the ungodly out; but for seven days the people, knowing not that their doom was fixed, continued their careless, pleasure-loving life, and mocked the warnings of impending judgment. “So,” says the Saviour, “shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” Silently, unnoticed as the midnight thief, will come the decisive hour which marks the fixing of every man’s destiny, the final withdrawal of mercy’s offer to guilty men.
The people are fast being lulled to a fatal security, to be awakened only by the outpouring of the wrath of God.
The Lord in judgment will at the close of time walk through the earth, the fearful plagues will begin to fall. Then those who have despised God’s word, those who have lightly esteemed it, shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east; they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord and shall not find it…. The ministers of God will have done their last work, offered their last prayers, shed their last bitter tear for a rebellious church and an ungodly people.
The eye of Jesus, looking down the ages, was fixed upon our time when He said, “If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace!” It is still thy day, O church of God, whom He has made the depositary of His law. This day of trust and probation is drawing to a close. The sun is fast westering. Can it be that it will set and thou wilt not know “the things which belong unto thy peace!”? Must the irrevocable sentence be passed, “But now they are hid from thine eyes” (Luke 19:42)?
Maranatha p. 264
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Prayer Requests
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Dear Friends,
Many years ago, we lived in a garage apartment across the street from our church. We had recently lost everything in a fire and were very poor. One night, we were awakened by the police knocking on our door. As they were driving by, they noticed someone stealing the gas from our car. The thief ran across the street and across the large wooded yard of the church. As he did so, he threw the gas cap. The next day we hunted and hunted, but could not find it. This was a real trial for us because at that time. Ron’s work was not doing well and we had hardly enough money for food. We could not afford another gas cap.
God was using this for good, however. A day or two later, one of the deacons found the gas cap while he was mowing the churchyard. The thief was caught and ordered to pay us ten dollars to replace the cap. Ron explained to the judge that we had found it, but he said that it was OK. The thief still owed us the money. That ten dollars bought the food we needed. What had seemed like a terrible trial, had become the very blessing we needed to supply our needs.
The Bible assures us, “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Rom 8:28 Sometimes this truth is hard to believe when everything is going wrong, but it is true. God says, “Call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” Ps 50:15 Sometimes that deliverance from a particular difficulty takes more time than we’d like or it is not in the way we would like, but He is faithful to deliver us. During these times we are to ask and keep on asking, search and keep on searching, knock on the door of Heaven and keep on knocking. (Matt 7:7-11)
Our Dear Saviour gave a parable in contrasts to teach a lesson in persevering prayer. “There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. ” Luke 18:2-8
May we trust in the Judge of all judges whether it be a small trial like a stolen gas cap, or whether it be a great and devastating trial that changes our whole life. May we declare as did Job, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him.” May we persevere in prayer for we know that our Heavenly Father loves us more than we love ourselves. (John 3:16,17; 6:27)
Rose