Could It Be?

 

 

 Could it be that we have missed it?

I mean, what we should be doing now,

Could it be we are wrong focused

Emphasizing the wrong thing somehow?

 

Some are so bent on prophecy

That all they focus on is heaven,

Meanwhile, the world needs evangelizing

And telling that their sins can be forgiven.

 

Some look for the coming of Jesus

And feel that His coming is soon

But if they genuinely think so,

Would they not be preparing to meet the groom?

 

 

Some are focusing on the Middle East

They say, the key to end times is Israel,

Meanwhile the Bible says,

Jesus is coming for a prepared people.

 

Their eyes are riveted on the news headlines

They are looking for prophetic fulfillment,

Such would clarify the Biblical timeline

And give a clearer understanding of its content.

 

Others have been caught up with date setting

Based on the happenings in the world

And every time that they get it wrong

They appear more silly and absurd.

 

Don’t you recall the Thessalonians?

They too were focused on the Lord’s return,

They felt he would return in their day

And many their living refused to earn.

 

St Paul had to be very strict with them

And issued a serious admonition

That if they continually refused to work

Then their lot should be starvation.

 

No doubt there are many young believers

Who are refusing to work

Believing that the Lord will soon return,

All manner of work they shirk.

 

After all what does it really matter

To be heavily involved in everyday affairs

When the prophetic reading of the times

Indicates that Jesus will soon appear?

 

 

 

 

When Israel became a nation again

Jesus’ return was less than a generation away,

Seventy-one years have passed since then

And we are still looking for that day.

 

One prediction was during or before 1988

Based on a generation being forty years,

The generation period was adjusted twice

But still Jesus did not appear.

 

Some predicted the year 2000

 The focus had then turned to Y2K,

And given this would complete 2000 years

The millennial reign would be one year away.

 

Could it be we are wrong focused

And missing what we are supposed to do,

And pretexting Jesus’ eye-opener

“The harvest is plenteous but the labors few”?

 

The Lord’s return is important

But his command to us is important too,

“Go ye into the world and preach the Gospel”

Should be every Christian’s view.

 

 

We should look forward to Jesus’ coming

But the when is not our business,

Being salt and light in a very dark world

Should be the Christian’s litmus test.

 

Some are eager for the Lord to return

But what about those to be evangelized?

The Gospel must reach the ends of the earth

Before his coming and that we must recognize.

 

Could it be? I ask again,

Is not the Christian church wrong focused,

Caught in the trap of denominational sects

Instead of telling the world about Jesus?

 

Stop looking in the heavens for signs

Concentrate on the Holy Word,

Do not interpret the Word by today’s headlines

That is outrageously absurd.

 

Instead let the Word interpret the Word

 Corroborate scripture with scripture,

It is likely we would see much better then

And better understand the prophetic picture.

 

Stewart Russell © October 2019