Don't miss the flight!

A little earlier, I was speaking on the 'phone with my younger daughter. She was in the Departure Lounge at Glasgow International Airport, awaiting her call for the flight that would take her to her holiday destination. As we ended the call, I commented: "Don't miss the flight!"

As I made that "throwaway" comment, I realised that it was more significant than had been intended. I thought of all of the speculation about what may happen on Sept. 23rd - now less than four weeks away. By the way, "Answers in Genesis" have published their own response to the many questions that they have received about this date. You may read that response at

https://answersingenesis.org/astronomy/stars/what-will-happen-september-23-2017/?utm_source=articlesmedia&utm_medium=email&utm_content=featurebutton&mc_cid=d84dc1b0a2&mc_eid=a2fb2651f9

I liked their final point - a point that I made when I posted on the subject almost a fortnight ago: "People who get excited about supposed signs miss the point that Jesus made (Matthew 24:36–51). Instead of setting dates, we ought to be ready for His return at any moment. Are you ready?"

My daughter had certainly made certain that she was ready for her flight. She was at the airport in plenty of time; she had checked her boarding pass; she had handed over her hold baggage; she had checked that there was nothing that was forbidden in her cabin baggage; she had already made her hotel reservation.

We have no way of knowing what, if anything, will happen on September 23rd, 2017. However, there is one certainty - that a day will come, and perhaps it is sooner than many suspect, when: "... the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the archangel’s call, and with the sound of the shofar (ram's horn) of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first; then we who are alive, who are left, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so we shall always be with the Lord." (I Thess.4:16-17). 

On that day, it will only be those who have prepared who will rise. That preparation involves an acceptance of my own sinfulness, and the confession of my sins. I involves the acceptance that I can do nothing about my sin, that separates me from the heavenly Father; that my "... iniquities have made a separation between [me] and [my] God, and [my] sins have hid His face from [me] so that He does not hear." (Is.59:2). I then need to believe, and accept, that in Jesus, the Christ, Father God has paid the just penalty for my sins, and that submitting myself to Him, as Saviour, and as Lord, makes me justified in the eyes of the Father.

If I have not taken those steps; if I have not accepted that it is "... by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God - not because of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph.2:8-9), then I am going to miss that flight - not to a holiday destination, but to my eternal destiny!

So, are you ready? Have you made all of the necessary preparation? Please, whatever you do, "Don't miss the flight"! Be able to sing, with the Gaither Vocal Band (Bill Gaither, Mark Lowry, David Phelps, Guy Penrod):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI9npdwLATc