Ugh! Another Deadline!
It’s never-ending! Deadline this, must-make appointment that, make sure you get this in on time, make it to the bank on time, and for goodness sakes, don’t miss your dental appointment, because some of them (not mine) will “ring you up” on that one too. There’s a price to be paid for missing a deadline! This time, it’s the dreaded “Tax Day” and the Feds aren’t giving any green stamps for past performance. It’s like preaching – you’re only as good as your last sermon! Get that Tax Return in by April 15th – or else! Yes, you can request an IRS Tax Extension on Form 4868, and this year, with the pandemic and all, our Tax Day is May 17th – but the point is still there. You’d better not miss it!
But there’s one appointment that you don’t have to worry about missing, and that’s your appointment with death. Hebrews 9:27 (KJV) gives it to us straight: “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” God talks about the man we call “The Rich Fool” who didn’t know where he was going to store all his goodies, but he finally decided what to do and how to solve the problem. (Luke 12:18-21) “And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” There’s a lot to be said about those verses, but one thing to notice is that this is an appointment that God sets, and He makes sure we keep it, - on time!
If you’re without Christ, it’s a rather dismal prospect. The end of your physical life with no idea what lies ahead, and some idea that the “ahead” may not be pleasant. But for the Christian, we have this “… our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:” (2 Timothy 1:10) For the Christian, the end of this life is simply the opening up of a far better and glorious eternal life with the LORD. Now that’s keeping it positive, and it’s not just “the power of positive thinking” it’s the positive power of God speaking according to the positive truth of the Word of God!
“Deadline” is a good word to use when referring to making sure you have trusted the LORD Jesus Christ for your salvation. He died for you, potentially paying for your sins, but you’ve got to “make it to the bank on time.” Ask the LORD Jesus Christ into your heart and life as your Saviour. The sooner the better, but better make it now, because nobody knows the date or time of their appointment! Don’t let this be the epitaph on your tombstone! (Jeremiah 8:20) “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”
There is a deadline!
Love to all,
Pastor