Throughout the Scriptures may be found the signs listed by which God has forewarned His people of the things which would be seen just prior to the second coming of Jesus. If we will give heed to the things which are happening upon the earth today, we will be able to discern those very things of which the prophecies have spoken. Not only can we see the increasing signs in nature itself but also in political and religious issues. Many freedoms which the people of this and other nations have enjoyed are being removed one by one. This is done in such a way that many do not fully understand the reason behind those actions.

Jesus Himself told His disciples of many of these things prior to His crucifixion so that they and those of future generations would be enlightened and made aware of the nearness of His return when they would see these things being fulfilled. We are to be aware today of what these warnings are and take heed as to how they are being fulfilled. We should not be in ignorance concerning them nor be hesitant about revealing them to others who may not be knowledgeable concerning them.

Our duty is twofold. We are living in a difficult yet exciting time of this earth’s history - difficult because of the things through which we know we must pass and exciting because we are beholding the fulfillment of that which has been spoken of throughout the ages - those things which, when the fullness of time comes, will culminate in the appearing of our Lord and Saviour the second time. So, what is our duty as we dwell upon these things? First, we must search our own heart and life to be sure that we ourselves are ready for the coming of the great day of the Lord; second, we also have the duty to fulfill the great commission given to us by Jesus Himself as found in Matthew 28:19, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”

As we are awakened to the nearness of Jesus’ appearing we will truly feel the urgency of preparation within ourselves and within the church; then we will be fortified with help from above to enter more fully into our mission field, the people in the areas around us who sit in darkness.

We have to realize that, due to our sinful nature, we have fallen far short of that perfection to which we must attain in order to enter heaven when Jesus comes. We must realize the urgency of committing ourselves completely to Him and knowing, as stated by the apostle Paul in Ephesians 2:8: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.” We must pray daily with the psalmist, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10); then we can claim the promise and security found in Psalm 91:10, 11, “There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.”

When we, as children of God, will invest our God-given talents in His service, we will work with Him as instrumentalities through whom souls will be saved for His kingdom. There will be within us a desire to see the salvation of those around us. We must ever keep that vital link strong between ourselves and Christ, for if we become separated from Him we will find that we have no strength.

We are to show forth a transformed life by allowing a reformation to be wrought within us. We need to have a deep conviction of our sinful state followed by a renewal of our spiritual life. This can be accomplished through the convincing work of the Holy Spirit. “A revival and a reformation must take place under the ministration of the Holy Spirit. Revival and reformation are two different things. Revival signifies a renewal of spiritual life, a quickening of the powers of mind and heart, a resurrection from the spiritual death. Reformation signifies a reorganization, a change in ideas and theories, habits and practices. Reformation will not bring forth the good fruit of righteousness unless it is connected with the revival of the Spirit. Revival and reformation are to do their appointed work, and in doing this work they must blend.”1

It is when we have obtained a knowledge of God through the study of the life and works of Christ that we will experience the transformation of character which will recreate the soul into His image. “Looking unto Jesus we obtain brighter and more distinct views of God, and by beholding we become changed.”2

Yes, by beholding Christ we become changed and through Him we obtain righteousness, the freedom from sin; we will be justified by faith. Then our life will be lived in harmony with God’s law which is holy and just. When His life is lived within us we become righteous. It is when we take His faith upon us and allow it to work within us by love, upon which principle hang all the commandments, that our heart will be purified. All our trying will be in vain; we must take that which He so freely offers, then the revival and reformation will happen within us. It is then that the transformation of character will be seen outwardly.

Our Master has declared, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Jesus gave this great commission shortly after He had arisen from the death which had no power to hold Him. The “ye” to whom He was speaking were His disciples, the witnesses of all these things. He commanded “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” Yes, all people are to have the opportunity of hearing the way of salvation; it matters not what nationality, color or race. God is no respecter of persons; Christ died to save all who would believe. As the early disciples did, we, too, will have various conflicts to endure as we seek to teach the truth for the present day. The enemy of that truth will cast many obstacles into our pathway but we must stay united with Christ, our Commander, and march forward under His banner. As we go faithfully onward, the Holy Spirit will traverse the way before us and prepare the heart of the ones to whom we will witness, sowing the seed of truth. Thus we will have done that which we have been commissioned to do, and the seed which falls into good ground will be watered by the Holy Spirit and spring forth to be ready for the harvest.

The work of God in which we are to be engaged is a manifold work; that is, it consists of many aspects. We have each been endowed with various talents which are to be used to the glory and honor of Him by whom we received them. Jesus, while on earth, spent much of His time healing the sick bodies and spirits of those with whom He came in contact. This was done along with preaching the good news of the gospel so that the spiritual wounds of the soul might be healed. Jesus said in Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.”

As we go about visiting in the homes of people we often find those who are indeed broken in spirit, not knowing which way to turn. We find those who have physical ills because they have not known how to properly care for their physical bodies. We find those who are poor, perhaps not for the lack of money, but for the lack of the saving grace of Christ. They have never accepted Him and do not know how to do so. To all these, whatever their station in life, we are called on to minister. When one is in the bondage of sin, he or she is a captive as much as though he or she were held in the stocks. His or her very soul is oppressed and cries out to be released. What a blessing it is when that soul receives the good news that he or she can be free by accepting Jesus as Saviour. It was Jesus Himself who said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11: 28-30).

May we be faithful in leading these lonely, troubled ones to the foot of the cross of Calvary, there to meet the One who wants to heal all ills, to restore the broken to strength and health again.

We have been richly blessed by God in that He has given us the very special message which is to be borne to the world in these last days of earth’s history. Jesus said in Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” Here we have the missionary program to be carried before the “end can come.” He desires that His people be willing to be those faithful witnesses of Him and for the truth of His word.

We must receive from Him the promised blessings before we can give it to others. “Do not feel at all ashamed of the heart softening under the movings of the Holy Spirit. Let Jesus come in as He knocks for entrance and then appreciate Him, rejoice in heart, encourage a constant gratitude that while you felt that there was no arm to save, His arm brought salvation, His love was made apparent to you. Then when in the full joy of that love you presented Jesus to others, the Holy Spirit was working through you . . . to bless others. . . . It is the privilege of everyone who receives the Spirit of truth to represent the truth in its simplicity, to reach the hearts of the perplexed, trembling souls who are really bewildered. . . . He knows how to apply the balm.”3

So it is that we throw ourselves wholly upon Him that we may be totally immersed in what He is trying to do for us and through us . . . that His name may be glorified and that through Him others may find salvation.

In giving this commission Jesus did not leave anyone out. All peoples were to receive; and each of us to whom the truth has been given are to give. This includes those in our families, those who are acquaintances, those who are strangers, those who we meet but may never see again. Thus, if all our church members are faithful to their duty, wherever they are located in the world, the good news and the power of the gospel will reach all who know it not. And, don’t forget the influence of the literature which can be given and even sent into places where perhaps missionaries cannot go.

Let us not forget also the professed ones who may be among our number but who may have become discouraged, or may have been assaulted severely by the enemy of souls and have fallen away. Let us go to them and show them the Christian love and concern through which Christ can work to lift them back fully into the fold.

We need to plead with these, reminding them of the Saviour’s love for them, telling them that He is coming again very soon and that they need to heed His call to return to Him and receive the healing that He can give.

We are the lighthouse from which the beam of God’s mercy is to flow. Just as the lighthouse keepers in times past have manned their stations faithfully and have sounded the horns, or in some instances bells, with which to give warning to passing ships engulfed in fog, so we are to sound the good news and the warning by whatever means we can to those souls who are nearing eternity without the Captain who can save them. Yes, this is our commission!

We today have the same commission from the same Jesus which His first disciples had. This is not the time in history to lower our standards or to let go of the Rock of our salvation. It is the time to raise higher the standard of truth so that others may see it more clearly and may hear our voices giving forth the message more boldly than ever before. May our faith increase as we draw nearer to Him; may we be that faithful people whom He is coming to save.

Fellow believers, let us each one daily partake of the saving grace of Christ our Righteousness, studying diligently His Word so that it becomes so interwoven within us that when others see us and hear us they will see His character shining forth from within us. It is through this that His name will be glorified and His return be hastened. Amen.