My twelve-year old remarked that he couldn’t believe his cousin celebrated her ninth birthday this week. “Mom, how can she already be nine? I remember when she was born!” I thought about it and said, “I remember when her mom was born, and she’s about to turn forty!” Time flies! I recall, as a child, hearing people say things were twenty years ago, like it was nothing, now I say it!
Hmmm, twenty years ago, what was happening? Oh yeah, we were preparing for Y2K. The computers were going to crash because we didn’t think they could handle the change from 99 to 00. On December 3, 1999, I purchased a 2000 Nissan Altima, and part of the sales pitch was that it was “Y2K-Ready” and would not have any issues with the 00 thing. We thought the nuclear power plants would meltdown, the prison gates would open, and electrical transformers would blow up. We thought Jesus Christ was going to come and take the believers in the rapture. I spent that New Year’s Eve in bed, but fully dressed, in the dark, with no TV on because anything plugged into an outlet might short circuit and cause a fire, and there was no guarantee that 911 would be able to receive calls. I had an alarm clock and waited until it showed 12:10 before I moved, at that time I called my parents and sisters, on the landline, and checked on them. There were no Happy New Year’s group texts and there was no social media - we actually spoke on the phone back then. I don’t recall anyone buying bread or milk, like we do now, at every instance of possible emergency. So, what has changed in twenty years? Quite a bit, personally. I was Anderson then, I am Massey now. I didn’t have children then, but I have two now. I didn’t have any nieces or nephews then, but I have a house-full! I am still an educator, but not a classroom teacher. I hadn’t written any books, but I’ve written eleven now! I had grandparents then, I have their memories now. I was saved then, and I’m still saved now. I knew the Lord for myself, then, I am concerned about whether others know Him now. Do you know Him? What if twenty years ago, Jesus had returned to take those who believed in Him, to the place He went to prepare (John 14:3)? Would you be in heaven now, experiencing eternal life in paradise? Or would you have been thrown “into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”? (Mat. 13:42) No one knows what will happen in the next twenty years. No one knows that the earth, as we know it, will still be here in the next twenty years. We don’t even know if we will live to see Y2K+20. I have attended my share of funerals in the past twenty years - even here in 2019. We do not know when our life will end, but we can be ready. 42“Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. 43But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. 44So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him. (Mat. 24:42-44) Are you ready? What if tomorrow is your last day among the living? Are you ready? I know this is a hard question for some people, but the answer is not difficult. You were created by the Lord God Almighty, He loves you, and desires a relationship with you. Do you desire a relationship with Him? Do you believe that you are a sinner? Do you believe that God sent Jesus, His one and only Son, to die on the cross that your sins be forgiven? Do you believe God raised Jesus from the dead, defeating sin, and offering new life to all who believe? If you answered no, this paragraph is for you! Jesus said, “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Rev. 3:20) I think sometimes, because we know our sin, we think salvation has to be more complicated. We think the Lord will have to consider our salvation for a while, and He might deny it. Incorrect. He will not deny you salvation. You may think you must change from your sinful ways before you can be saved. Jesus stands at the door and knocks - all you have to do it open it. Salvation has nothing to do with your FICO score or your references. Salvation is about your heart. And yes, you are a sinner, but you cannot change from your sinful ways without Him. If you could, you would have done it twenty years ago! You need the Lord in your life in order to change your life. He stands at the door and knocks - He desires a relationship with you. Do you desire a relationship with Him? If you answered yes, to those questions, then you are ready to face anything that happens tomorrow or in Y2K+20 or beyond. You are saved from spiritual death and destruction. Hallelujah! But, what about others you know? Are they ready? I don’t write this blog each week just for those who are already saved? I write it because it might reach someone who is still uncertain. I write for people who don’t quite understand the goodness of Jesus Christ. Please don’t keep this post to yourself. Share with those on your prayer list who might not know the Lord as you do. Amen. If you answered no, and would like to discuss it and want Y2K+20 to be different from your past years, or you need a Bible to read more for yourself, please comment below or inbox me. AMEN! Have an awesome 10 Days preparing for Christmas! Kim
2 Comments
|
I am a wife, mother, educator, and author who, between other duties, enjoys writing. My name is actually Kimberly Griffith Massey. In this blog, I will share some sighting of God's light each week.
Author Photo by Heather G. Rollings, 2017 Cover photo by Carlton Griffith Photography www.carltongriffith.com Archives
December 2019
|