Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. — Revelation 1:7
One day, not far off, the Lord Jesus will come breaking through the clouds with His angels. In a moment, in a twinkling of an eye, at this last trump, time will be no more. There will be a crashing of ages when time ceases and all people of all generations, living and dead, come together. There will be a universal resurrection, and all people will stand before the great white throne of judgment. The book of life will be opened, and we will all be judged. The righteous will inherit eternal life in Heaven to be forever with the Lord, and the unrighteous will be cast into a lake of fire for eternity.
The burden of this issue is evangelistic in nature. There is a truth that the Spirit of God wants saint and sinner to get hold of: Time is running out.
The Spirit of God has moved upon me many times over the last few months, and I pray that the Holy Spirit would move you in your spirit as you read this issue. This is not just another paper, another doctrine, another message. It is a divine cry of the Lord to remind us that time on this earth is short. The coming of the Lord is very close. Jesus is coming back, and it will be soon.
The sin and immorality of this world is ever before the Lord. As with Sodom and Gomorrah, the judgment of God is about to fall. Flee for your life and be saved. If you have a profession but have not been loving and serving God with all of your heart, now is the time to make a change. Humble your heart to God and cry out for mercy, for soon, mercy will be no more. Backslider, today is the day to come back home. You will go farther and farther away from God unless you plead the blood of Jesus. Let us not hide behind our family name, church history, reputation, or standing in the congregation. Let us with openness and honesty before God examine our lives and be sure we are clear in all things before the God of Heaven.
We do not know when the Lord will return and this cry has been made for 2000 years; but we are nearer than ever, and the cry of the Spirit that “Time Is Running Out” is clear and distinct. Heed the warning. Presume not that tomorrow will come. There are sins that need to be repented of, impurities that need to be cleansed, relationships that need to be mended, and hearts that need to be humbled. While I personally do not intend to be an alarmist, I mean by the power of God to sound the warning.
Let us set our house in order, for time is almost out. Let us live every day as if it were our last, for one day soon it will be.
Michael W. Smith
October 2022
