The Great Escape
by Dr. David Jeremiah

Earlier this year, an earthquake, registering a massive 7.9 on the Richter scale, leveled the city of Gujarat in India. The death toll has been estimated as high as 50,000 lives. How do you think the people in Gujarat would have prepared had they known the earthquake was coming? They probably would have done everything in their power to escape the coming destruction. But there was no warning or chance to escape.

There is an event on humanity's horizon that will eclipse every natural disaster in history. During a period called the Great Tribulation, the world will experience pain and devastation like never before. But there is an escape route available to every person. Jesus is coming back to rescue the Church in an event known as the Rapture. Will you be a part of that Great Escape? If so, how many people will also make the Great Escape because of your witness?

SECURE YOUR ESCAPE ROUTE
If you knew that at any moment-even as you're reading this sentence-the Lord Jesus would step through the clouds, would you be ready? In that twinkling of an eye, there will be no time to look for alternate escape routes. Have you secured your escape route by accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior? There will be no time for last minute changes the day of Christ's return.

SHARE THE ESCAPE ROUTE
Nowhere in the Bible does it say that we should wait passively for Christ's return. This is a time to get busy, building the Kingdom of God and evangelizing the lost. While it is still day, here are a few things we can do to share the escape route with others.

Pray for the lost. Why not make it a daily habit to pray for the unsaved people in your life? Start each day by praying, "Lord, if you bring someone across my path today who needs You, help me to sense it, and help me to be bold enough to tell them about You."

Share the Gospel. According to the Bible, it is every believer's privilege and responsibility to share the Gospel. If we understand what lies ahead for those who do not know Christ, there will be a sense of urgency in our witness.

Invite someone to church. Pick up the telephone and invite someone to church or a small group Bible study. Some people will never walk through the doors of a church unless invited by a friend.

Ask questions. Did you know that you could open people's hearts to spiritual matters by asking questions? We can learn a lot about a person's spiritual condition simply by listening to their responses.

Discuss current events. Have you ever thought of using current events as a springboard to talk about Bible prophecy and the coming of Jesus Christ? By asking your friends or co-workers about their feelings concerning today's news, you can learn volumes about where they stand with God.

Live as a credible witness., If our actions don't line up with the message we're proclaiming, we risk losing our credibility. When our lives are filled with peace, faith and joy, people will want to know what we have.

THE NIGHT COMETH
The hands of time are moving steadily to the moment when the night cometh. Are you working for your Lord while it is day, or are you simply waiting to be rescued? The objective for Christians is not only to be a part of the Great Escape, but to take as many people with us as we can.

You may not be able to predict the time of a tornado, earthquake or the Lord's return. But you can know for a fact that He is coming back. Work today to share the escape route of God's grace with others, before the night cometh.

This article was taken from Turning Points, Dr. David Jeremiah's bi-monthly Devotional Magazine. Call Turning Point at 1-800-947-1993 for your complimentary copy of Turning Points.

If you enjoyed this article, we'd like to recommend Dr. Jeremiah's series entitled Escape the Coming Night, a chapter-by-chapter study of the Book of Revelation.

Wednesday, April 01, 2009