When The World Is On Fire # 3

When The World Is On Fire # 3

The Coming Will Be Sudden

There will be no warning bells. Just as He came to Bethlehem's manger on that starry night, even so He is coming again, only this time in His glory, in His power, in His authority, in His might, in His magnificent majesty! However, it will be just as sudden as it was 1900 years ago. Oh my soul, how afraid I am that too many of us Christians, as well as too dreadfully many of the unsaved, will not be ready for the appearing of the blessed Son of God. I have found this to be true. I am passing this on to you for what it is worth. The Lord has given me the privilege of going across this continent. I suppose I have been in as many different churches as anyone of you reading this book, perhaps more than anyone of you. And hear me, beloved! You show me a  church that majors on the premillennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, next to the Cross, next to the shed Blood, next to the resurrection, and I will show you a church constrained to consecration, compelled to soul-winning. Surely the person who believes in the imminent coming of the Son of God is not going to go to places, is not going to spend money or time on things that he or she would not want to be doing, where he or she would not want to be found when Jesus Christ comes to claim His own.

Christ's Coming Will Be Spectacular

The heavens will be dissolved. The earth will go up in smoke and flame. The atomic and hydrogen bombs will look like fizzy firecrackers alongside the matchless glory that will accompany the return of the Son of God. The Bible teaches it. Most of us, if not all of us, will see it. Then you will not have to take my word for it.

I am jealous for Jesus Christ. I am jealous for His good Name. I am jealous for His mighty fame. It hurts me no end to find a brass band orchestra leader paid more money than a dozen preachers of the gospel. A moving picture actress of any prominence makes more money than a multitude of preachers put together. It is because the world hates God and Christ. It is because the world is not interested in the things of God, in the things of Christ. Jesus Christ is getting the small end of it right now. I am jealous because of that. But I need not be. Every time I get to thinking about it carefully, seriously, I am reminded of the classic illustration I am sure you have all heard.

A preacher was driving by Stone Mountain outside Atlanta, Georgia, that tremendous mountain of stone the like of which there is not found anywhere in the world. A man was leaning against that mountain, huffing, puffing, pushing, red in the face. "What are you doing, sir?" asked the preacher. "I am holding up the mountain." "You do not have to hold up the mountain. It can hold itself up." "But, preacher, you go on the other side and see what is happening." The preacher rode around to the other side of the mountain. There was a man with a little pickax out of a boy's tool chest, chipping at the mountain. About every hour or so he struck a spark of fire, struck off a stone about the size of a pinhead. Coming back, the preacher said to the man supporting the mountain. "You do not have to hold up that mountain. That man will be trying a long time before any part of it will ever fall."

Neither do I have to worry about the Lord Jesus Christ. He can take care of himself. I heard a preacher say the other day, "You don't have to set a poodle dog to watch a lion, to take care of a lion. All you have to do is just open the cage and let the lion loose. He will take care of himself." It is identically the same with the Lord Jesus Christ. I love to think about His coming. He is coming to display His omnipotent power. There are many of God's choices evangelists in this day who sob their hearts out, weep their souls out, pay with their heart's blood, with their sweat, their tears, with sleepless nights, with agony-filled days for the souls that they win to Jesus Christ. yet the world goes on in its heedless way. But, thank God, praise God, it is going to be changed. One of these days the biggest name in the world will be the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. One of these days the biggest job in the world will be serving the blessed Son of God.

Christ's Coming Severe

The second coming of Jesus Christ will not only be sudden, not only spectacular, but also severe. It will be severe in its searching. It will be severe in its judgments. It will be severe in its cursing. It will be severe in its castigation. I want with all my heart and soul for Jesus Christ to come, yet I cannot fully say it and mean every bit of it. I cannot say with all my heart that I want Jesus to come right now. There are so many unsaved people who need Him, who may be lost at His coming. Yet, in spite of it all, if I could only see Him, if I could only kneel at His feet, if I could only tell Him face to face how much I love Him!!. But His coming again may be the end of the dispensation of grace to these multiplied, multitudinous millions who are on the road to a devil's hell. That is the thought that I have like a burning coal in my heart, on my mind all the time. When Christ comes again there may be no second chance. When He comes again there may be no gospel preached. When He comes again the Holy Spirit may be withdrawn. Some say He will be withdrawn;some say He will not - I do not know. But there is the danger for these unsaved myriads at the coming of the Son of God.

~Hyman Appleman~

(continued with # 4)