The Sunday Mail
Innocent Mushamba
General Robert E. Lee was a feared man in the days of the American Civil war.
His troops were well known for their swift work in combat. These Confederacy soldiers fought with such speed that they could hardly be located before or after a battle.
Their foes, the Union soldiers, had good reasons to be afraid. Under Lee’s leadership, the Confederacy troops were unpredictable – they seemed to appear and disappear at will.
The secret was Lee’s strategic battle plan. His exhaustively detailed plans and effective attacks made his troops a fierce army. In September of 1862, however, he made a blunder that possibly changed North American history. General George McClennen’s army occupied a campsite which Lee had used days before.
Here two of his soldiers found Lee’s specific battle plans wrapped around three cigars. It is said McClennen hesitated for about 18 hours. That hesitation saved General Lee in the battle of Antietam, where 23 000 died. McClennen had in his hands the detailed plans of the enemy! It was all laid out before him, but he hesitated.
You know, there is a war going on in the world and everyone is involved. Yes, everyone! There are two opposing sides. The apostle Paul wrote: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”(Ephesians 6:12)
The staggering rise in divorce rates, crime and upheavals in society, the kinds of murder cases that were unheard of just a decade ago all show that we have a swift foe. His troops are not of flesh and blood.
They have a detailed plan to cause ruin to our world. Though they operate in darkness, “We have also a more sure word of prophecy . . . as unto a light that shineth in a dark place” (2 Peter 1:19)
Bible prophecy exposes Satan’s plans in perfect detail. The prophetic books of Daniel and the Revelation emphasise how Christ, our General, is working for the salvation of mankind.
We also find that the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew, which will be our focus, gives us plain counsel from the lips of Christ. In answer to the disciple’s question, “when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?”(Matthew 24:3) Jesus’ immediate answer was “Take heed that no man deceive you.” (v. 4)
To deceive means to lead astray or to seduce. The apostle Paul wrote, “But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”(2 Timothy 3:13)
A great deception in our day is that some do not believe that Jesus is coming soon. Some teach that the second coming of Christ is experienced when someone dies.
If death is the second coming then there have been several second comings since He ascended! Oh no friends, Christ’s coming is a literal event: “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Matthew 24:30)
The second advent of our Lord is not the experience of conversion, neither is it a spiritual reign of Christ on the earth. He is literally and personally coming to take His people home.
We know that He will come again because He came the first time. When Jesus came the first time, Bible prophecy had foretold His coming. Numerous prophecies are found in the Old Testament concerning Christ.
To name a few, prophecy foretold the place of His birth (Micah 5:2), the manner of His death (Psalm 22:16) and even the very price at which Judas would betray Him (Zechariah 11:12& 13). If the Bible spoke of His first coming, and that promise was fulfilled, then we can be sure that His second coming is more than certain.
If that is true, then the nearness of His coming is also certain. He is coming sooner than most expect. He said, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Matthew 24:42)
To watch means to be alert. It means to be in a position to promptly obey God’s voice when He speaks to us. It means prayer, diligent Bible study and faithful witnessing to others about Christ and His righteousness.
It means self-examination, for we are told: “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith” (2 Corinthians 13: 5). Jesus died for your sins dear reader. His love for you took Him down from the courts of heaven to Calvary’s lonely hill.
He came to save us from our sins: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) He not only forgives us, but He cleanses us also.
A story is told of a man who promised a prize for the student that would have the cleanest desk when he returned. “When will you return?” they asked.
The man would not tell them. A little girl, well-known for her untidy desk shared her desire to win the prize. The classmates laughed and asked her how she intended to do that. “I’ll clean my desk every week!” she said.
“What if he comes during the week?” asked one student. “Then I’ll clean it every morning!” she replied. The other student asked again, “What if he comes during the day?” There was silence a moment. Then the little girl replied, “I know what I’ll do- I will keep it clean all the time!” So it must be with you and I.
Jesus is coming to reward everyone according to their works. May God grant us the grace to be clean before Him when Jesus comes. As the week goes by, may Jesus be first and foremost in your thoughts. “Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.” (2 Peter 3:14).
