about 7 o’clock in the evening. Your boy figures that he’ll be able to make it about midnight. Do you think you might say something like this to him, “Well son, it’s so wonderful to hear your voice. We are glad you arrived back in the country. Now, you know mother and I have been working hard today; we’re awfully tired. Even though we haven’t seen you for three or four years, I’m sure you will un derstand. We will put the key under the mat by the front door. Let your self in as quietly as possible and we’ll see you in the morning.” How many mothers and fathers would say, “That’s not what I’d do at all. You must be crazy!” And you would be right. Any mother or father who hasn't seen a son for three or four years is not only going to stay up late but also is going to let the whole neighborhood know of the good news. His arrival is a time of welcome and rejoicing. This is the way it should be with us as we contemplate the re turn of our Saviour, God’s only be gotten Son who fought the battle of the cross for us. We ought to wait patiently for Him because the text says He will deliver us. The Author ized Version has it in the past tense, however, the Greek is in the present. It is a moment by moment deliver ance. But, from what are we kept? The Bible tells us it is from the wrath to come. Yes, the Lord Him self is drawing us away from the wrath to Himself. This is the picture of a child running in front of a speeding car. Someone sees the child, dashes out after him, snatches him from the pathway of the oncoming automobile and saves his life. This is what the Lord Jesus is doing for you and for me. Back in 1949, while traveling to the midwest by plane, a very sober ing experience took place. When we left Philadelphia, the sky was blue and the sun was shining. When we came to Chicago there was nothing to be seen but clouds. It was just 10
about impossible to see the wing tips of our airplane. The stewardess announced that there was trouble be low and. that we would not be able to land. No one liked the ominous sound of this. Around and around we circled for more than an hour. Peo ple were getting edgy and jumpy. One man asked me what I did. I told him I was a preacher and the people around us immediately took on a very holy appearance. Another man said, “Well, you know we may not go to church very often, but I guess we’re all headed in the same direction.” I said, “Yes, you could be right.” There was a lawyer on board and he said, “What do you mean, ‘We could be right?’ Aren’t you going to give an argument?” I replied, “No, but if you are interested there are three places we could be in the next few moments. We can either be in heav en, in hell or in Chicago.” Now when one is stranded in a plane which is in difficulty, this is not merely a joke, it is a rather serious note. One of the men had sufficient interest to ask, “Well, Mr. Keiper, what makes the difference?” I quickly responded, “Knowing the Lord Jesus as per sonal Saviour.” What a wonderfully ripe time for a message on eternity. Everyone of us is going to take a last flight. Life may seem like we are blindly trying to find security. For the believer, we have a Man in the tower (the Lord Jesus Christ) who is going to save us from the crash to come. Do you know the Lord Jesus today? When you take that last flight called death will you be flying blind ly to eternal death ? When Christ wants to be your Pilot, your Saviour, why not accept Him now and settle your soul’s eternal destiny?
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ I The Lord may calm your storm, but then again He may allow the storm to rage while He calms you.
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