The mice shouldn’t play

1 John 2:28-29    And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. 29 If you know that He is righteous, you know that everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.

I was hanging out with a group of friends last night getting together to show support for part of the family that is dedicating their lives to missionary work in Africa. It was a night full of good food, laughter, children playing, and testimonies of God’s work in each others lives. It is funny how parties used to be sharing all the “remember when’s”, that included some story of likely intoxicating shenanigans. Now the talks are the evidences of God’s hand in each of our lives. Of deliveries from all those addictions and lives steep in sins. Of evidences of redeemed lives that see and feel the proofs of God in them. Of encouraging others to do the same; of sharing the new found lives in Christ. It is so good to be in the fellowship of other believers; God uses each other to encourage each other in the evidences of His handiwork in their lives.

Being a Christians is not the mentality of, “When the cats away, the mice play.” Early in your Christian life, you begin to understand that you cannot hide from God. All that you do, He sees; all that you think, He knows; nothing is hidden, and all will be revealed at that day of judgement. Romans 2:16 in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. That is a scary thought, but we also must rest in knowing we are seen through the blood of Christ at the Cross as forgiven. When we being to grow in our faith, and that understanding, we should desire to live more righteous lives every day. We should pursue that faith and relationship that we abide with Christ as John says; we should be in a “state of being in Christ.” That intimate relationship will be guarded from the snares of sins that used to tempt us. That intimate relationship is prepared for His return.

What if today is the day that Christ returns? Looking back from this hour, into the past days, and weeks, how will your life account to God? “Well, God I was going to seek you a little harder after I got done with this project for work, after I got done with this tournament ball game, after I……………., after……….., after………….. We all have fallen in those pauses, we all have put other things before God. My prayer is that it is only for a short season, that you come to realize the weight of your life and the pursuit of God and the things of God with it. There is no playing while He is away, for He may return at this instant.

He came – He died – He arose – He ascended – He is coming back!