by David Brenneman
"And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them." Revelation 11:12.
In his notes on this verse, Pastor Alistair Begg begins by saying "When the time comes, fixed by irreversable decree, every believer in Christ will hear "a loud voice from Heaven," saying "Come up here." If we are in Christ this should be the subject of joyful anticipation. Instead of dreading the time when we will leave this world to go to the Father, we should be thirsting and panting for the hour. With what joy will the voice from Heaven sound in the ear of those wearied with labor. Our work will be ended, and our reward will come. Our Savior will say "Come up here," and we will see the glory we have believed in. Our lot in this life may never be that of protracted sickness, abject poverty, excessive labor, or the death of martyrdom. Yet let us still believe that, if we are true followers of Christ, whenever death comes--or rather whenver life and immortality come--it will be a joyous and blessed time for us. May we not seek the Most High to delay the time when He summons us, but may we listen every morning for the royal message that says, "Come up here." - Alistair Begg - Spurgeon Study Bible notes on 11:12.
My Dear Reader...are you dreading that day or are you in joyful anticipation as he mentions?
It's important to note that even since the writing of the New Testament they were looking to see Jesus return. Maybe they were looking to hear those words or something like them but the writers, as directed by the Spirit of God, were teaching all new followers of Christ to be ready to hear the Great Shepherd's voice and be ready.
Being ready. Standing firm. Fleeing from youthful lusts. Fleeing from sexual immorality. Setting our minds on things that are above and not on the things that are of this world. Always being ready to make a defense for the hope we have within us. Shining our light in such a way that people see our good works and glorify our Father in Heaven. See the pattern here of the priorities of the true Church of God?
I will admit that in the last 25-30 years of my life many many things are no longer important to me. Many many things that I originally took great joy in no longer hold my interest. Many many things that took my mind from walking with Jesus are no longer in the picture.
Oh I still have battles to face every day. My life may not look like there's a war going on but there is. I've never read the book but it's on my to do list of reads. "Mind Siege" by Tim LaHaye.
We are always under assault every moment after we wake up if we would but only acknowledge God's own truth in this. Our adversary prowls around like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour. While God protects us in our sleep, the battle begins anew at light of dawn or earlier depending on when you get up. Satan's both wanting and yet not wanting the Church of God to be complete and to see the events of the book of Revelation and other places come about. He's still about the business of distrupting the Father's business which is to seek and save the lost.
"Come up here." Wow...while going about life, while looking at what has taken our attention away from listening for that...what are we doing about it?
While it's ok to be interested in some things in this world, we should not allow anything, or anyone, take our eyes off our walk with Jesus. Nothing should be so important that we rush through our time with Jesus. Nothing should be so important that we put Jesus on a shelf and rush in excitement for that rather than to be with Him. Nothing should rush our prayer time or our time in the Word of God. Nothing.
When we DO hear "Come up here" will we have an instantaneous moment of panic because we were caught in the middle of something we shouldn't have been? Thinking something we shouldn't have been entertaining? In the middle of something the deep down we KNOW that the Spirit told us not to engage in?
Think about that this morning when you're about your day...are you keeping an ear out to hear those words? Are you in eager expectation of hearing your Savior and Lord telling you it's time to go? Or have you lost sight of that because of what all is in your life?
Remember your mind and heart will always see battles every day both small and great. Satan's relentless in that and so are his minions. So is our sin nature. We can think life is going well with our walk with Jesus and a stiff breeze of our sin nature trips us up like nobody's business and there we are flat on our backs.
Keep alert. Stand firm. Be listening. Purge from your life whatever isthy keeping you from being a fully devoted follower of Christ and absolutely do NOT join in with those who have allowed such things to trip up their lives.
Test what you are keeping in your life with what the Bible says. If you're having to fight to justify it then it probably isn't supposed to be in your life.
Pray on, Pray over, Pray through life.
All NASB Scripture Excerpts used by permission.
New American Standard Bible
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