Now concerning that day and hour no one knows-neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son-except the Father only. As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark. They didn’t know until the flood came and swept them all away.  Matthew 24:36-39 HCSB

Remember Cinderella, she was granted her wish by her fairy godmother to attend the ball at the palace. But at the strike of midnight everything would go back as it had been. Cinderella knew that she had to be home by midnight. This is why she fled the palace and didn’t even stop when her glass slipper came off. She was well aware of what time this spell would wear off.

But our scripture passage today tells us that no one knows the hour when the rapture will occur and we will be called up to the Great White Throne of Judgment. For many of us we have no idea when our last moments on earth will be. Now some that are diagnosed with a terminal disease may be given some sort of time frame, but this is really a doctor’s best guess. Only God knows when our last minute on earth will be.

We just wrapped up another Mardi Gras in New Orleans. The city partied on as usual even though two were killed falling off a balcony and another two killed by being run over by a float. I wonder what those four people thought when they woke up that morning? I doubt that any of them planned on ending their life in that way at that time. None of us know when we begin our day how it will end.

If you blatantly defy God here on earth, then woe unto you when you face the Great White Throne of Judgment. Woe unto you when your clock strikes and you are pulled out of here. My friend, this is something of which you have absolutely no control.

However, you do have control on whether you accept Christ now and get prepared for that day. You do have control over whether you go to heaven or hell when you leave this earth.

Now if you are diagnosed with a terminal illness you can get all your affairs in order, but who’s to say that you won’t leave the doctor’s office and be in a head on collision and die? We have seen young people at the prime of their lives die in tragic accidents. Mass shootings have claimed the lives of school children. Seemingly healthy people have been known to drop dead of a massive stroke or heart attack. We have no idea when our last minute will be. Even those diagnosed with a terminal illness could meet some fate that takes them out long before their doctor’s predicted time frame.

Now in the fairy tale, Cinderella made the most of her time at the ball. She charmed the charming young prince and won his favor. So much so, that when she darted away just before the clock struck midnight, she left the prince holding her glass slipper and vowing to find her.

So my question for you today, my friend, is what will you do with the time you have left? What will you do while you are waiting for the clock to strike? Will you live like the devil and hope that you can get repent in the nick of time? Will you focus on being a “good person” and hope that it’s good enough? I hope not.

We don’t know when we will be called before the Great White Throne of Judgment but we are told in 2 Corinthians 5:10 that we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. We are told in Revelation 20:11-15 that all will stand before the throne and the book of life will be open and we will be judged by what is written in the book. Anyone not found written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire.

We can no more escape judgment than we can escape physical death. We will all die someday, we will all be called before the throne, but no one knows when their time will come. No one knows the day nor the hour that the clock will strike and they will be called before the judgment seat of Christ. I beg of you to be ready. I beg of you to understand the urgency of this matter and not let another minute go by before you enter into a close relationship with your Lord and Savior. Trust in Him and allow Him to guide you, be ready and eager to appear before Christ. Plan for eternity in glory with God the Father. I hope to see you there.

Have a great weekend!